ACTIVITY REPORT
On 25th May 2023, Nzumari Africa took the Mukuru Transformers Secondary School in Mukuru Kwa Ruben where they engage approximately 80-100 students and 6 teachers in a puppetry performance and discussion on Education, poverty, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Safety and Adolescents Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights.
Synopsis of the performance
Nina, a secondary school student is involved in sexual activities with multiple sexual partners including her boyfriend, Sololo, who is a fellow student and an elderly 70 year old man (sponsor). She is with the sponsor because Sololo is unable to provide the financial support she requires.
Nina infects her boyfriend with an STI which results in her boyfriend beating her up.
Question to pupils
What are the challenges that you face in Mukuru kwa Ruben which impact your education?
Answers from Students
Boys
- There are cases of students and boys being sodomised leading to school dropout and suicides
- Boys involve themselves in drugs and substance abuse leading to school dropout
- Parents can’t afford to pay school fees leading to school drop out
- Girlfriends demanding money which makes the boys go to hustle instead of attending school
- Girls do not want to date us because we are broke which cause some boys to be stressed.
Girls
- Some girls lack sanitary towels so they do not come to school during their monthly period
- Some girls get pregnant and so drop out of school to get married or their parents refuse to support them and so they survive amongst friends
- There are cases where girls are Raped and defiled which may result in pregnancy and suicide
- Parents can’t afford to pay fees so some girls quit school and join sex work or get married
Teacher’s input
This is a timely message because in Mukuru kwa Ruben there are no government secondary schools and the private schools like ours does not receive enough support from the government in order to give quality education services to students. We do what we can and are thankful to Nzumari Africa, Ruben Centre, Ruben FM and Samosa Festival for engaging with the students and giving them valuable information.