Baby Class P.E.

Baby Class at Precious Vision Care Centre

As a GVI volunteer staff member I have a very busy day teaching English to Standard 7, supporting new volunteers with their lessons, as well as assisting the Kenyan teachers with the everyday-running of the school.  However, I make sure I always take a break when I see a conga-line of babies leaving their classroom ushered by their teacher, Madam Immaculate.

Baby Class on the way to the field.

Since she started working at Precious Vision Care Centre a few months ago, Madam Immaculate has instigated a new timetable for the babies; they now work on a rotation system of singing, writing, colouring and P.E.  (The afternoons are always ruled by the essential nap-time!





Taking a well-deserved nap after fun and games.

The majority of these children are really too young to be in education, the youngest are just one year old.  However, they have been accepted into the school in order to allow their older siblings to continue their education.  Unfortunately in Kenya many children, particularly girls, drop out of school before they have completed their education, more often than not this is something they need to do in order to support their family.  It could be the case that a parent who used to stay at home to look after the baby has suddenly got a job and now needs their eldest child to stay home instead.  It could also be due to the death of a parent which puts extra strain on the remaining family members.

 

By allowing these babies to attend school not only do their siblings get an education, but they themselves get a head-start in learning, an adequate breakfast and lunch, as well as plenty of fun and games!



Yvonne and Esther in Baby Class.

Baby Class P.E. is always good for a mood boost – the first thing you will hear is a chorus of “How-a-oo?” before you have twenty under 2’s hanging from every available limb!  Once Madam Immaculate has reined them back in, we get to the fun bit - she usually opens with a simple action game where the babies have to chant sentences and act them out; “I am running”, “I am walking”, “I am jumping”.

 

After this there are baby sprints where some of the babies race each from the gate, over to the classrooms and back again (whilst Immaculate encourages the spectator babies to clap and cheer them on).  This can go on for a while as the babies love to run!

Once this is over, Immaculate concludes her P.E. lesson with a ‘warm-down’.  She practices breathing exercises with the babies and then they have to stretch up on their tippy-toes and back down again.



Warming down.



On special occasions during the rainy season Madam Immaculate also takes the time to find sticks for the babies to use as their pencils as they draw pictures on the still-damp ground.

A resourceful Creative Arts lesson with Immaculate.

All in all, baby P.E. scores top marks on originality, hilarity and just plain cuteness!  It is not something to be missed.

 

Natasha Richardson,

GVI Volunteer Staff Member.

Baby Class P.E.