Lilian Cherotich

Capacity strengthening of education partners and teachers on school improvement plans and Implementation of the NRC's Flagship programme, The Better Learning Program 1 in Turkana

Activities performed :

• Develop tailored school improvement plans for underperforming AE Centres, focusing on curriculum enhancement, teacher training, and learner support services.
• Ensured that the Accelerated Education Learning spaces are safe and inclusive and meet the minimum standards required by the Ministry of Education(MOE)
• Capacity strengthening: Provide training to teachers, the Board of Management, Ministry of Education (MOE)officials and parents to support the implementation of The Better Learning Programme and The Accelerated Education Program.
• Raised purchase Request and ensured timely distribution of resources to the project participants

Coordination and collaboration

• Collaborated with Ministry of Education officials(MOE) in Turkana and Dadaab counties and SAGAS to support dissemination of AE guidelines.
• Collaborated with UNHCR and education partners in identifying beneficiaries of the Elimu Scholarship programs
• Coordinated training activities with education partners including MOE,LWF, HI and FCA
• Participated in the education working group meetings facilitated community engagement forums to sensitize communities about the Better Learning Program and accelerated education

Monitoring and evaluation

• Prepared detailed and accurate activity reports,
• Conduct joint school assessments,coaching and mentorship of teachers with MOE and Teachers Service commission(TSC) coaching and mentorship of teachers to deliver interactive lessons.

Achievements.

• Trained coached and mentored 73 teachers in Kakuma and kalobeyei to implement Accelerated Education and the better Learning.
• Supported 12 AEP centres to develop School Improvement plans
• Supported MOE &TSC in dissemination of AE guidelines
• In collaboration with FilmAid, the Youth Voices of Kakuma and UNICEF to documented 6 success stories of our Accelerated Education and the Better Learning Programs
• Encouraged the use of online monitoring of BLP lesson implementation and 73 teachers positively adopted the use of online KOBO tool.

• To implement delegated BLP project portfolio including coordination with NRC, Ministry of Education Turkana West Sub- County, other partners, and Project staff
• Ensure monitoring of the BLP programme components assigned, by contributing to data collection, spot visits, data analysis, and drafting of regular activity implementation/monitoring/evaluation reports, need-based
• Capacity building of school Board of Managements, teachers, and other education personnel (Film Aid International, Lutheran World Federation, HI, and Ministry of Education)
• Create and maintain strong working relationships with relevant UN bodies, INGOs and NGOs such as UNHCR, UNICEF, NRC, LWF, FCA, FAI and HI
• Create Parental /Community awareness of the Better Learning Programme conducted in collaboration with Film Aid (FAI)
• Supervise the education technical assistant, teachers assigned, and community BLP facilitators in terms of performance, allocation of tasks, work plan, day-to-day work, and leaves, and support them to further build their capacity and expertise
• Ensure timely procurement, development and distribution of training modules, educational materials and equipment and preparation and filing of beneficiary lists and results outcome
• Ensure effective pre-positioning, timely, distribution and monitoring of school learning materials
• Promote, advocate, and implement community mobilization on the Right to Education for All (EFA), the concept of AEP, INEE standards, girl's education, protection of vulnerable children and the rights of refugees, IDPs and Children with Disability (CwDs)
• Prepare timely periodic BLP progress reports as required by the line manager
• Involve and inform communities and community leaders about the activities of the project and conduct monthly community coordination meetings per camp
• Trained 73 teachers on the better learning program and supported them through regular class observation coaching and mentorship and 1750 learners received regular BLP sessions
• 792 parents were reached through targeted sensitization meetings and 1100 new learners were enrolled in AEP
• 1852 learners were provided with learning kits to support them in the learning process

• Team leader: Led 40 teachers across 8 primary schools in Kalobeyei integrated settlement and its hosting community, provided continuous teacher capacity development by providing short training
• Project planning: Defining the goal of the project, determining the task and resources required to achieve the set goals, developing a detailed project schedule, and preparing budgets
• Stakeholders' engagement: engaged relevant stakeholders including the Ministry of Education Turkana West Sub- County, UNHCR, UNICEF, Finn Church Aid (FCA) parents, and teachers during the project launch
• Identified and engaged with education stakeholders in Kalobyei integrated settlement and host community to identify areas of collaboration
• Resource management: I monitored and managed project resources including personnel, finances, materials, and equipment
• I ensured the fair distribution of resources and identified challenges and possible solutions
• Risk management: Identified potential risks that may hinder the successful implementation of life skills education projects in schools, developed risk management strategies, and took appropriate actions to minimize their impact
• Monitoring and Evaluation: ensured continuous teacher capacity development, weekly monitoring of life skills implementation, developed monitoring tools, Assessment and project evaluation tools, and carried out post-monitoring evaluation with the support of the M&E team
• Making procurement requests, distribution of non-food items (NFIS) to teachers and learners, preparation of handover certificates and distribution lists for beneficiaries, and facilitating proper scanning and uploading the all beneficiary lists in shared points
• Project visibility: Followed up with the procurement team so that Life skills visibility materials including t-shirts, roll-up banners, teardrop banners, staff visibility Jackets, and visibility billboards done following the donor requirements and standards
• 40(27m,13f)refugee and national teachers trained, coached, and mentored to equip them with the requisite skills to be able to deliver life skills lessons using interactive learning techniques and 38(26m,12f) successfully replicated the skills gained in the training to deliver life skills lessons to learners in Kakuma integrated settlement and its hosting communities
• 80% of the sample learners during the assessment of life skills acquisition, answered that life skills lessons had enabled them to solve some of the challenges they face in the school and community
• This increased learners' persistence in school
• There was improved school attendance by learners due to the rigorous community awareness through village meetings and the use of religious institutions

• Team Lead: Supervising and managing 58 incentive /refugee teachers and over 3,000 learners' discipline
• Community Engagement: Carrying out community mobilization and awareness creation on the project activities and registering children and youth for learning
• Working with community leaders and the school Board of Management to ensure the smooth running of the AEP project
• Project Planning and Implementation: Preparing comprehensive work plans for teachers to plan appropriately for teaching and learning activities
• Developing Costed Work Plans (CWPs) and implementation plans for AE projects
• Teacher Professional Development: Ensuring that training content is delivered using learner-friendly methods as per the curriculum
• Training of teachers on Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) /child protection/PSEA and child safeguarding/ inclusive training/ The Better Learning Program(BLP) in collaboration with Turkana West Sub-county Ministry of Education (MOE) and other education partners carried out joint class observation, teachers coaching, and mentorship programs
• Accountability to Affected Population (AAP): Distributing teaching and learning materials, sanitary wear, and recreational kits to AE learners
• Preparing monthly reports and AE success stories
• Use of different platforms to disseminate information about the BLP and ECHO project by carrying out; radio talk shows, radio spot messaging, bulk text, community dialogue, and holding baraza in the community
• Documented, shared, and disseminated over 15 (fifteen) success stories on AE with donors and partners
• Trained, coached, and mentored over 92 national and refugee teachers on AE pedagogy as well as BLP consequently replicating the approaches and improving the learning outcomes of over 3,000 learners
• Effectively implemented the pilot of the Accelerated Education and the better learning program in Kenya leading to scale-up from 4 to 12 Centers within Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and the host community with increasing demand from the population

• Team Lead: Leading 48 teachers
• 13 support staff and over 10,000 learners
• Monitoring teachers' and learners' discipline
• Promoting good working relationships between LWF, community leaders, and other agencies working in the camp
• Procuring Home Grown School Meal by advertising tenders, facilitating the bidding process, awarding tenders, receiving, storage, and monitoring in collaboration with the Boards of Management (BOM)
• Classroom Instruction: Teaching primary school children according to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to improve quality education
• Organizing the classroom and learning resources to create a positive learning environment
• Planning, preparing, and presenting lessons that cater to the needs of the whole ability range within their class
• Enhancing learning for children with disabilities through the utilization of e-learning options
• Establishing and maintaining up-to-date professional and administrative records
• Capacity Building: Assisting teachers to develop learning resources using locally available materials, organize a resource room, and help with utilizing them to enable all learners to access learning in a participatory manner
• Providing technical support to refugee teachers on inclusive education matters to meet individual learners' needs through the development and implementation of IEPs to learners eligible for specialized services in special classrooms and resource rooms before they transition to regular classrooms (for those who can)
• Community Engagement: Strengthening integration between the Turkana community and the refugee community through open open-door admission policy
• Conducting community mobilization and sensitization on the significance of education for children including supporting Educational Assessment and Research Centers (EARC) outreach services in identification, assessment, school placement, and intervention recommendations for learners with disabilities
• Effectively managed over 10,000 pupils in the school which, attracted donors such as UNICEF, that constructed other learning centers such as Future, Joy, and Friends primary school to decongest the school
• Hosted the then Minister of Education (Amina Mohamed) as an advocacy effort towards integration of refugees as a core durable solution
• This led to further action by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in advocating for the refugee education policy
• In collaboration with the host community at Elelia and Esikiriet Villages established Esikiriet preschool which attracted UNICEF's support and has since progressed to grades 1,2,3,4, and 5 enhancing access to education to learners within the catchment area
• Initiated school kitchen gardening which, attracted the attention of Food and Agriculture (FAO Kenya) with 55 learners receiving support through the provision of technical training, seeds, and pesticides
• As a result, the vegetable was sold and the proceeds were used to supplement the school meals program as well as purchase some of the basic needs for the learners and school

• Team Lead: Carrying out effective induction for new staff and refresher training/induction for old staff on a termly basis
• Ensuring professional documents are well updated, maintaining daily attendance, performance of staff, staff discipline, and general staff welfare
• Facilitating high-level consultative communication with the pupils, parents, teaching and non-teaching staff, and the wider community
• Classroom Instruction: Ensuring learners receive good quality education through a program designed to promote a stimulating style of learning in a safe and secure school environment
• Securing and sustaining effective teaching and learning throughout the school, monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and standards of students' achievement, using benchmarks, and setting targets for improvement
• Assessments: Coordinating and executing assessments and examinations in line with the regulations and standards across all School levels
• Leading in the interpretation and analysis of data derived from diverse assessments and examinations and developing academic records for reference by stakeholders
• Curriculum Implementation: In consultation with the Education Officer, directing the process of teaching and learning for quality assurance in curriculum delivery
• Evaluating and approving development and orders for teaching and learning resources and their utilization
• Capacity building: Conducting appraisals in teaching and learning, advising on training needs, and preparing training schedules for capacity building of teachers to in in tandem with emerging global trends
• Child safeguarding and protection: Gender focal teacher and a focal point for Prevention of Sexual Exploitation (PSEA) In Kakuma Refugee Camp
• Community Engagement: Scheduling and conducting academic meetings
• Promoting good working relationships between LWF/WS, the Senior Education Officer, Education Officers, Director of Schools, Inspectors of Schools, teachers, parents, Chiefs and Sub-Chiefs, community leaders, and other agencies working in the camp
• Curriculum Development: Be involved in discussions to study in detail curriculum subjects under subject panels to foster understanding of the content, assessment methods, and teaching methods
• Attend workshops and training on professional advancement
• Set, moderate, and supervise examinations
• Co-Curriculum Activities Lead: Planning, preparing, and conducting parent/pupil Forums and activities that involve academics and co-curricular activities
• Supported the development of the community Complaints, Response, And Feedback Mechanism (CRFM) to enable beneficiaries to access services in a digitized manner, understand their role in project implementation raise complaints, and receive feedback in a safe, confidential manner
• As the focal point for CRFM, carried out bi-weekly school awareness campaigns in the camp and host community schools around Kakuma
• 5 cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, fraud, and corruption were reported with culprits undergoing disciplinary measures
• Learner retention and transition rates improved
• Improved the enrolment of girls in the school from 1880 to 2,700 through the concerted efforts of the community and such partners as the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, Finn Church Aid,(FCA), and Windle International Kenya (WIK)
• Improved the mean score of the school from 240 to 266 transitioning all the girls to secondary school

• Sensitizing teachers, learners, and parents about the established school rules and regulations
• Facilitating good storage and fair distribution of school resources to all learners
• Preparing the school's daily attendance and monthly statistical data
• Ensuring that the teachers attend to their lessons as stipulated on the school timetable
• Ensuring that the children's government is duly elected by the learners and is actively involved in the running of school activities
• Attending to lessons and ensuring accurate and regular preparation of professional documents
• Monitoring teachers' marking of pupil attendance registers
• Inducting and assisting refugee teachers in preparing professional records
• In charge of music and drama clubs, coached the football girls
• Evaluating learners
• Improved the enrolment of girls in the school from 150 to 1880 through the concerted efforts of the community and such partners as the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, Finn Church Aid,(FCA), and Windle International Kenya (WIK)
• Improved the mean score of the school from 115 to 240 accelerating my promotion to the post of headteacher