PA-MOJA brings Kenya and Langley together in support of students

January 24, 2018

In the hall of Langley Fine Arts Secondary is a glass display case showcasing various items and students from Kenya. The words PA-MOJA read on a plaque in the case. “‘Pamoja’ means ‘together’ in Swahili and reflects the way we work with schools, communities, and Kenyans to provide educational opportunities for Kenyan students,” says PA-MOJA director Amber Illes.

The program was started in 2005 at Langley Fine arts and is now supported by 20 North American schools. Together they sponsor 64 Kenyan students to attend secondary school in Kenya.

In Kenya, the K-7 education is free; however, a secondary education is costly. As a result, few families are able to afford sending their children into secondary education, and if they do, it’s often the boys who attend. Students who complete their secondary education, though, become respected members of their communities.

The PA-MOJA program concentrates on education for the community. A classroom can sponsor a Kenyan student. The Langley students are then able to keep in contact with their sponsored student to see how the Kenyan student is doing. Just recently, for Christmas, a group of PA-MOJA sponsored students put together a thank you video for Langley Students.

For Langley students, they have the opportunity to communicate and learn what education is like in the other country. And for the Kenyan students, when they graduate, they become ambassadors for the program.

Currently Langley Fine Arts, Walnut Grove Secondary, and Brookswood Secondary support two students each, with more schools in the process of adopting students.