Community school shines light for families from underserved areas 

Bridge Kenya believes that all children should have equal access to high quality education and has been serving children from underserved communities since 2008. The institution uses innovative technology to support teachers and learning in the classrooms, and manage the day-to-day running of their schools.

Bridge uses a technology-powered teaching model that is designed to reach the most underserved communities and work within those communities to improve learning outcomes for all children, regardless of their socioeconomic background. The model has been proven to work, with Bridge pupils consistently outperforming their peers in the national exams for the past seven consecutive years.

Despite coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, Bridge pupils have been empowered to compete with their counterparts from more affluent backgrounds. Bridge graduates have received admission to elite national secondary schools in the country, and many are now pursuing their dream courses in universities in Kenya and in the US.

Geoffrey Atulo is another student whose life has been changed by Bridge. Geoffrey is a student at Bowdoin University in the US. He went against all odds to score top marks in the KCPE which opened up a world of opportunity he and his community would never have dreamt of.

Across Kenya, the challenges arising from poverty are well documented. Children from poorer families struggle to access a good school; or have learning materials. They remain behind their more affluent peers in terms of literacy and language development. Their futures are not as bright because they rarely get the opportunity that a strong school and committed teacher can bring. This could easily be Geoffrey’s story, but thanks to a good primary school he is now pursuing his dreams.

Meet Kimberly Betty, a Bridge graduate who sat for the KCPE exams in 2020. Kimberly was among the top performing girls in the country with a score of 411 marks, and is now studying at Bunyore Girls High School, a girls’ national school in western Kenya.

Speaking of her high-flying success, Kimberly said, “I had never scored above 400 marks in my entire primary life. When the results came out and I had scored 411, I was totally elated. I was on top of the world. In my last examination, I had 396 marks and I have always managed between 350-380 marks in every exam. My success can be attributed to God, my father and my teachers. Thank you Bridge!”

As Kimberly purses her studies in high school, she desires to study heart surgery at the university once she is done with her secondary school education.

“My mother died because of a heart complication and I remember asking my dad whether there are doctors who specialize in heart-related diseases. I have decided that I want to be a heart specialist so that I can help people with heart-related problems,”

Bridge believes that strong teachers change lives. Leveraging technology, it has empowered a new community of trained, prepared and supported teachers. The institution provides teachers with resources and materials that enable them to teach effectively and help children learn better. Bridge teachers benefit from ongoing training, continual support, and professional development. The support gives them pride in their work as they see their pupils learn and excel.

Damiana Mukami has been a Bridge teacher for more than 8 years. She teaches PP1 class at Bridge Kwa Njenga academy in the larger Mukuru community. “I have been at Bridge for so long that I consider my pupils as family. I have seen pupils come and go and later progress to high schools such as Alliance, Kenya High, Starehe, and top universities such as Kenyatta University, Moi University, Jomo Kenyatta University and so many more.” Says Damiana.

Damiana loves Bridge because of the teaching approach which uses learning guides incorporated in teacher tablets. “As a teacher, your lessons are already prepared and you know what is expected of you.” She remarks.

She knows that teaching young children is not easy because their attention span easily drifts and to keep them engaged you need to incorporate fun activities such as cheers that involve dancing and singing which help them stay awake. “I love Bridge because it has been a gateway to success for thousands of pupils and I am definitely proud to be part of this noble cause.” Concludes Damiana.

John Njuguna is a proud Bridge parent. His three children are enrolled at Bridge Kinoo in Nairobi. He says that Bridge has served his family well.

“I found out about Bridge through a friend of mine who advised me to join the school. He told me that they had really involving and engaging teachers, and their performance was really good. I did my due diligence and researched about the school. True to his words the school was highly known for offering affordable yet quality education to children from less privileged families.” 

The father of three says his dream has always been to enrol his children to a high performing school because he wants a bright future for them. Sadly, most good schools are expensive and therefore out of reach for many families from financially struggling backgrounds. When he came across Bridge, it was the best bet for him.

Njuguna says he has no regrets whatsoever because the school has exceeded his expectations. “My children are always excited to go to school unlike before because their teachers are always willing to help and they make the classes fun. I have learned so many cheers from them and whenever they do something positive, they always tell me to congratulate them using one of the cheers.” Chuckles Njuguna.

They say education is the key to success. It is the master key that unlocks the golden door of opportunity. Unfortunately, millions of children will never access their opportunities because they lack access to a good school and a strong teacher. Education providers like Bridge should therefore be lauded and supported to impact more families from the underserved communities.