A charitable Institution, Incorporating a National High School and Skills Training Programme for girls
This is a culture that is instilled into every member of the Starehe Girls’ Centre fraternity. It is anchored on the following nine guidelines:
1. Self-Respect and Decency
2. Academic Excellence
3. Student Leadership
4. Commitment to Duty
5. Barazas
6. The School Song
7. Community Service
8. The Charge
9. Spiritual Growth
As a culture, Starehe is based on a stronghold of student leadership with the hierarchy ranging from the School Captain (Code 001), her two deputies (code 002), Captains (Code 003), Senior Prefects (Code 004), Prefects (Code 005 – plain badges) and Sub-prefects (badgeless position). They all have different roles to play in serving the school. They are currently collectively known as the Student Council. The main difference is that the Student Council is elected by the students, with wide participation by the teaching and non-teaching staff. The change has also taken into account what works better in girls’ school as well as aligning the student leadership structure to the Kenya Constitution 2010.
The Student Council receives leadership training from professionals to gain skills for effective handling of the school both as students and as leaders. The whole aim of the establishment of this Council was to give teachers adequate time to handle academic work for excellent results. It also gives the students a chance to develop personal skills in leadership.
The School Song is unique in that it encapsulates what Starehe stands for. It states that:
“These are the years when we are helped and guided,
Taught by Starehe to know and judge and do;
Prepared for the future, encouraged and provided,
Strengthened to serve: Natulenge juu!
Brought to the school to join a thousand others,
All with one purpose, quick and keen and true;
Boldly we follow in the footsteps of our brothers,
Proudly we wear our dress of red and blue.
Honour the school, a way of life which fires us,
Lifts up our spirit sets us all ablaze,
Teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us,
Planting the seed to serve us all our days.
We pledge ourselves, when this our generation,
Must in its turn the weight of government bear,
To all mankind, through service to our nation,
Head, heart and hand in justice zeal and care.
These are the years when we are helped and guided,
Taught by Starehe to know and judge and do;
Prepared for the future, encouraged and provided,
Strengthened to serve: Natulenge juu!”
Voluntary Service Scheme is an initiative by Starehe for students to work in any Government Enterprise or Hospital for a certain number of days (mostly three weeks), during the holidays which is in line with the idea that to whom much is given, much is required.
Under this scheme, students from either Form Two, Form Three or in the Starehe sacrifice their holidays to undertake a three- or four-week service free of charge. The student can do virtually any kind of work, ranging from cleaning, wheeling patients in hospitals, filing documents in offices, entering data in computer systems and so on.
At the end of the period, the person in charge of the Department where the student was working writes a report on the student’s activities over the period and makes necessary recommendations. The report is then posted to the School for filing purposes.
The Old Starehean Society is a network of Old Stareheans providing leadership in social and economic transformation, providing selfless and exemplary service to our key stakeholders. The Society was founded in 1970 by Starehe Boys’ Centre with the mandate of bringing together old Stareheans to ultimately provide resources to Starehe Boys’ & Girls’ Centre’s to enable it provide quality education to needy boys & girls in Kenya. The OSS therefore exists to keep the Old Boys & Girls together and mobilize resources to serve the schools.