After Back to School aired in September 2006, Wide Angle received an email from Karen Weiner, a middle-school Social Studies teacher in Long Island, NY, asking how she could contact the principal of thirteen-year-old Joab’s school in one of Africa’s largest slums, Kibera, on the outskirts of Nairobi. When Wide Angle’s Coordinating Producer Tamara Rosenberg responded she heard an interesting story: Weiner had been so moved by the film that she decided to show it to her students the next day. She was overwhelmed by their response. Her students insisted that they wanted to do something to make a difference in thirteen-year old Joab’s life, and began skipping lunch periods to brainstorm ways they could help. They decided to start by asking his principal what the school needed most.
So Wide Angle put the 7th graders in touch with Joab’s principal in Kenya, Elisheba Khayeri. Ayany Primary, they learned, was missing the basic staple of all schools — a library, and books to put in it. They asked what this would cost. The answer came: $15,000.
Watch this video clip to find out what happened next!
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This is great. Kids like this deserve a great round of applause. Clap Clap Clap. Keep up the good work KENYA KREW!!!!!!
I just watched the initial Wide Angle video with Joab and six other kids around the world in their struggle for education. I am a native New Yorker and went to High School in East Meadow, LI. It is wonderful to hear what the students in Miss Weiner’s class are doing, and I’m so proud to see the hearts of the kids want to help other children so freely. Is there contact information available to get in touch with her class so that I can make a donation?! Thank you so much!!
GO KENYA CREW!!!!!
Thank you! May many “JOABS” be helped with the $15,000 being raised by this marvelous warmhearted response / action – taken by the Long Island middle school kids. Please put me in touch with Miss Weiner’s class so I can send my donations. Well done !
You all are blessed and I wish you all the best as you go about your lives.
I too would like to contribute To Joab and the other children. Please let me know who to get in touch with.
Joan B.
I am another follower of the Wide Angle video and was sooooo greatly moved by Joab and his story. What was so heart wrenching for me was that he was so alone…a child doing a mother’s and father’s job by taking care of his siblings. And the loss of his mother…oh I was so very moved. I just wanted to give him a great big hug to let him know that there is someone out there who cares. Please let me know where I can send a donation to the Kenya Krew! Kudos to all of you kids!
Kudos to Wide Angle for the wonderful work they have done once again in ‘Time for School 3′ and in the entire series! I am a teacher on Long Island & the advisor of Kenya Krew, and I wanted to jump in to respond to some of the wonderful responses from so many of you. Thank you for your words of encouragement here about our project! If you would like to assist the children of Ayany Primary School (Joab’s school), my students and I would welcome your donations!
I’m thrilled to see that so many people were spurred to action by Joab’s story — it is truly heart-wrenching, and he is an incredible inspiration.
As you know from the video, Kenya Krew is aimed at building a school library at Ayany Primary School. We have raised about $8000 toward our goal of $15,000, but some of that money has been used to replace the desks in the 7th grade classroom at Ayany, and to create a temporary Reading Room for the students until the library is constructed. Therefore, we may actually end up having to raise more than the original $15,000 — we are in the process of reassessing the amount.
We have been working closely with the principal of Joab’s school, and as you can see in the pen pal video, we have developed tran-Atlantic friendships. While donations to Kenya Krew would not go directly to Joab and his siblings, they would benefit all of the children of Ayany, many of whose stories are equally compelling and inspirational. If you are interested in contributing to our Kenya Krew project, you may send your donation to my attention at Lawrence Middle School, 195 Broadway, Lawrence, NY 11559. Checks should be made to Lawrence Middle School, with “Kenya Krew” written in the Memo line. We wire money directly from our account to Joab’s school, so that we are assured that the money ends up where it is intended.
Thank you all for your interest in Joab, his siblings and all of the children of Kibera. Please feel free to respond to my posting if you have any questions regarding Kenya Krew, and of course we welcome your donations to our cause! Thank you in advance!
Best wishes to all,
Karen Weiner, Kenya Krew advisor (NY)
I think it is great that they are doing this!! Before I found out about this, my class was talking about it so we should be working on something soon!
I watched this story about Joab and he just made my heart melt, for such a young man to be so strong and so mature for taking the best care that he can for his siblings, i have to say he just kills me…i so want to do something special for him.