VOA慢速英语2013 为肯尼亚的贫困女孩提供免费教育

 

AS IT IS 2013-09-08 Free Education for Poor Kenyan Girls 为肯尼亚的贫困女孩提供免费教育

Hello there, and welcome to As It Is -- VOAs daily show for people learning¹ American English!

Im Christopher Cruise² in Washington.

Today on the program, we report on a promise by the Kenyan government to give free laptop computers to first-year students.

And it will also give the children a chance to, as they progress and grow to be able to research and have more knowledge. I think its a great idea if it works³. Its beautiful.

But first, we take you to the first-ever free school for girls in a poor neighborhood in Kenyas capital.

Nairobi School Teaches Girls, Improves Community 

The Kibera School for Girls in Nairobi offers free tuition⁴, uniforms, books and meals to girls who qualify⁵. The students are from pre-kindergarten through the fourth grade. The school is the first to offer free education for girls in the area.

Milagros Ardin tells us about the school.

The people of Kibera struggle to provide themselves with food, shelter, clean water and good schools. 

Girls face the additional⁶ problems of discrimination and violence. When money for school is lacking, parents and guardians⁷ usually withdraw⁸ their daughters from school before their sons.

The Kibera School for Girls works to help the community understand the value of education. Parents do not have to pay. But a family member must work at the school five weeks a year as a way for them to support a childs education. Girls are chosen based on the possibilities for their success as students and on financial need.

Ten-year-old Joyce Achieng is one of these students. She says that girls need more chances, especially in Kibera, where she has seen a lot of suffering.

It is important because when they dont go to school, they will not achieve their goals and their dreams will not come true, and they will not be what they want to be in the future.

Anne Atieno Olwando is the schools headmistress. She believes that girls like Joyce will have a better chance of overcoming the effects of being poor by getting a quality education.

Its one of my passions to make them realize that you didnt choose, you didnt sign to be born where you were born but you can choose to go where you want to be in the future.

Helping⁹ women make better futures¹⁰ is why Kennedy Odede established the school almost four years ago. He says that growing up in Kibera, he hated seeing that more boys than girls could go to school.

In 2004, Mr. Odede started a community movement that later became the organization called Shining Hope for Communities. He wanted to make life better for girls as well as boys.

He said he began to see communities through the eyes of his mother and sister. But he worried some people might feel unhappy that only students were getting a better life. Mr. Odede wanted everyone in the community to feel improvement¹¹ in their lives. Today, the school provides services for everyone in the area, not just students.

People can stop by Shining Hope for Communities to get clean water or use a clean bathroom. They can sign up for computer training or visit the medical center. Women suffering from violence at home can get advice and assistance¹².

Im Milagros Ardin. 

The Promise of Free Laptops for Kenyan Students

Shortly after he was elected, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta promised to give laptop computers to every first-year student in the countrys schools. Some people question whether Kenya is ready, and whether the presidents plan can really succeed.

The Muthaiga primary school is just outside the capital, Nairobi. First-year students there currently¹³ learn the traditional way -- with chalkboards, textbooks and memorization. 

Muthaigas head teacher Bernadette Owino said the new technology will help her students learn.

The world is becoming a small village, and you need to connect with the rest of the world, if youre only computer literate¹⁴. And it will also give the children a chance as they progress and grow to be able to research and have more knowledge. I think its a great idea if it works. Its beautiful.

Educators and students may be excited and pleased about the governments laptop program. But others say the country is not ready. That is because many teachers still are not able to use computers themselves. And a lot of schools are in poor condition and do not have electricity.

The post-primary teachers union says it supports the idea of giving computers to first-year students. But the unions Secretary General -- Akelo Misori -- says students and teachers must first meet basic requirements.

If basic skills of math and reading are still a challenge in our primary schools, then it means therefor that the introduction of technology to, in schools through laptops is not, may not be a viable¹⁵ component¹⁶ of our learning circumstances now.

The laptop program was a major campaign promise of Mr. Kenyatta, who won election¹⁷ in March by a narrow vote.

The idea started at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi.

Providing laptop computers for all first-year schoolchildren in Kenya is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The government hopes to begin providing the computers to students early next year.

And thats As It Is for today. It was written from reports by Jill Craig and Gabe Joselow in Kenya.

We hope you enjoyed our program.

Every day on As It Is, we report on issues that concern you. Tell us what you want to hear on a future show.

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 cruise   

v.巡航，航游，缓慢巡行；n.海上航游

参考例句：

• They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
• She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。

3 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

4 tuition   

n.（某一学科的）教学，讲授，指导，学费

参考例句：

• Students can apply for individual tuition.学生可以申请个别指导。
• Is this money enough for the tuition fee?这些钱交学费够吗？

5 qualify   

vt.取得资格，有资格，限定，描述；vi.取得资格，有资格

参考例句：

• I won't qualify until next year.我明年才具备资格。
• You must qualify yourself for the post.你必须使自己具备担任这一工作的资格。

6 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。

7 guardians   

监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者

参考例句：

• Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
• The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

8 withdraw   

vt.收回，撤消，撤退；vi.缩回，退出，撤退

参考例句：

• I want to withdraw a statement I made earlier.我想收回我早些时候发表的一项声明。
• The general decided to withdraw his soldiers.那位将军决定撤军。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

11 improvement   

n.改进，增进；改进之处，改善的地方

参考例句：

• The doctor noticed a gradual improvement in his patient.医生注意到病人在逐渐恢复健康。
• I can detect signs of improvement in your thinking.我可以察觉出你思考问题方面的进步。

12 assistance   

n.援助，帮助

参考例句：

• She called and called but no one came to her assistance.她叫了又叫，但没有人来帮。
• He will get the great possible assistance.他将获得尽可能大的帮助。

13 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

14 literate   

n.学者；adj.精通文学的，受过教育的

参考例句：

• Only a few of the nation's peasants are literate.这个国家的农民中只有少数人能识字。
• A literate person can get knowledge through reading many books.一个受过教育的人可以通过读书而获得知识。

15 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

16 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

17 election   

n.选举，选择权；当选

参考例句：

• There is no doubt but that he will win the election.毫无疑问，他将在竞选中获胜。
• The government will probably fall at the coming election.在即将到来的大选中，该政府很可能要垮台。