Twinning
FACT SHEET
Better Education
Students in the Lasallian schools in Africa receive a top-notch
education and they do very well in the national exams competing against much wealthier
students in the country. Some score in the top 5% of their countries of Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Nigeria and South Africa.
Education Costs Money
Schools in Africa are not free. Government schools are even more expensive than the
mission schools and some private schools. The cost of an education prohibits many
poor children from attending school.
Our Contributions Make a Difference
Schools in the Lwanga District depend on contributions from the US to continue their
work. They could not exist without our help.
Work for School
In the Lasallian schools, the students actually maintain their own schools in
order to be able to afford this education. They clean the school buildings and maintain
the grounds, some grow their own food, help to prepare it, serve it and clean up after
meals.
Getting to School
Many of the African students who go to the Lasallian schools in Africa actually board
there because they live so far away from the school and would spend most of their day
walking to and from the school. Some still walk at least 9 kilometers (5.59 miles) to and from each
day. Some of our schools provide free bicycles for their students to get back and forth.
Average Tuition
Tuition in the Lasallian schools averages about $300 a year.
St. Charles Lwanga
St. Charles Lwanga was one of 22 young Ugandans who were put to death for practicing
his faith by King Mwanga on June 3, 1886. The Christian Lwanga District in East Africa is
named after him.
Break Out of Poverty
While the causes of poverty in Africa are complex, education is the best chance young Africans have to break out of the cycle of poverty.
Increasing Faithful
In 1900, 2 million Catholics lived in Africa; today there are over 135 million Catholics.
Bishops
In 1930 there was one African Bishop. Today, 90% of the 562 Bishops serving in Africa
are themselves African.
Language
Kiswahili, often just known as Swahili, is the official language of Kenya. A few basic
Swahili words, such as Jambo (Hello), Habari (How are you?), Asanti sana (Thank you)
are good to know. Swahili is today spoken in over half the countries of the African
continent.
Large Number of Youth
More than half (55%) of Kenya's population of 40 million people are under the age of 25.
By camparison,14% of the U.S. population is under 25.
Age
The median age in the United States is 35 years old, Eritrea 17, Ethiopia 17, Kenya 18,
Nigeria 18, and South Africa 24.
Tribes
There are 40 tribal groups in Kenya alone.
Living on $3 a day
78% of Kenyans live on less than $7 a day.
89% of Ethiopians live on less than $3 a day.
First Humans
The Great Rift Valley close to Marsabit and Nakuru is known as the 'Cradle of Human
History', because it is thought that the first humans came from this place.
Average Life: 55 years
The average life expectancy in Kenya is 54 years; in the United States it's 78; in Eritrea
it’s 65; in Nigeria it’s 51 and in Ethiopia it’s only 56. A person in the U.S. is expected to
live 22 years longer than an Ethiopian.
Nomads
Nomadic pastoralists who live in northern Kenya go off for long periods of time in the
dry season with their herds to find water and grazing. The students often return to
school thin and very tired, their only nourishment coming from the milk from the
animals.
Infant Death Rate
In Nigeria, for every 1000 live births, 101 babies die. By comparison, in the United
States, 6 babies out of 1000 die. This statistic hasn’t changed much in recent years.
African Meal
The staple meal for many African students is kale, beans and corn.
AIDS
Nearly 30 million people are living with AIDS in Africa. Three million are in Ethiopia.
In some sections of Africa, one out of every three children is an AIDS orphan. AIDS kills ten times more people than war and is now the major cause of death in
Africa. Last year 3.4 million people became infected with AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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