Let There be Light

On May 7, 2013, New Dawn Educational Center held a celebration of light!! That is "Solar Light."  Mr. Bob Cook, pictured at left, and officials from New Dawn are cutting the ribbon on the project.  The New Dawn Education Resource Center is now complete with its solar panels that effectively take the school and all its electricity needs off the grid in Nairobi.  The school is in every respect a "green school."  Irene Tongoi, Director of the New Dawn Educational Centre reports, "work on the installation began in April 2013 and the project was commissioned in May 2013.  Mr. Bob Cook was received by the Admin team as the school community gathered for a ceremony for the dedication of the Solar Power Project was commissioned.  Songs and dance characterized the ceremony with much thanksgiving.  We are truly grateful for the donation of this solar power plant worth over $35,000USD.  This will eliminate costs for energy for many years to come.  Our computer lab and the charging of our e-readers and other equipment needed for the educational program will be well sourced with energy from the sun and are running with the utmost efficiency."

 

Viola Kubo, Principal of New Dawn says, "the Solar Power Project was a great leap forward in the life of NDEC.   The Solar Power not only guarantees a constant supply of electricity but it is hoped that it will significantly reduce the amounts paid out to the electricity bills.  Savings thereof can be re-channeled to other good use.  The students were visibly excited by the school "going green" because they were now assured of more study time in the light.  Most students don't have electricity at home.  This is especially significant during the nights when they are prepping for exams. Before "solar" outages were commonplace."

e-Readers Come to New Dawn

 

 

 New Dawn Students Celebrating the e-Reader Following Training

 

 

After months of planning and training it was time to launch the Worldreader, e-Reader project.  The e-Reader came to New Dawn loaded with 100 library books and textbooks from both International and African authors.  Sixty e-Readers were provided to the school through the generous gifts of African Leadership donors for which the students and teachers at New Dawn Educational Center are deeply grateful. 

 

Margaret Chao (left)  is the school Librarian and also the e-reader Program Director.  After a short training session, Margaret, trained the teachers. 

One of the teachers held the e-Reader in his hands and exclaimed, "I have heard that such books existed, but I have never held one in my hand or had the opportunity to read one.  This is a great treasure that you have given us."  The books that he was most excited about were in English Literature, and included the likes of Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes.  

 

Chris and Vincent were very excited with this “great treasure” and were marveling at the wonderful teaching tool it will be for them in the subject areas they teach.

 

     

Once the teachers had been trained they were given a small group of students and asked to teach them the fundamentals of the e-reader.  It was fun for me to go from group to group and hear the excitement in the teacher's voices as they shared their new found skills with the students. 



  

 

On the official launch date there was a public unveiling of the e-Reader project.  Dignitaries from the local Huruma community, the Ministry of Education, the new incoming president of African Leadership, John Walter, an African Leadership board member, Jim O'Donnell and a team from a Middle Tennessee Church all joined with students in celebration of the "coming of the e-Reader."

 

Education at New Dawn will be forever changed.  One student remarked as he held up an e-Reader, "you mean I'm holding 100 books in my hand.  That's incredible, that's a small library."

The goal of this project is to get the students reading, because:  

 READERS BECOME LEADERS!