Quality Education in Remote Kenyan Primary Schools

Greetings from So They Can in Kenya.

First and foremost, thank you for your generous support of So They Can's work in Baringo! We have had a busy quarter implementing our holistic education program across our 10 partner primary schools, to ensure 4,000 children have access to a quality primary education.

Here are  some of the highlights of what we have accomplished over the past few months through our interlinked projects:

• Teachers Development

In July the Education Team started the process for award of our 2024/25 Teacher Trainee Scholarships. 37 applicants (62% female) submitted interest and 12 were shorlisted for assessment - including interview, home visits and poverty-level assessment. The process resulted in the recommendation of 6 Baringo graduates being awarded a scholarship to pursue formal tertiary teaching qualifications. Read more about our Teacher Trainee Scholarships here.

• Shamba Letu (School Farms)

For the first time this year we are piloting large-scale school farms in Baringo. It takes an innovative approach due to the semi-arid climate, but we have established farms at 2 partner primary schools, with a third expected before the end of the year.Chemolingot Primary School has planted beans, green grams and cowpeas on their 2-acre farm. While Perkerra Primary School has already harvested 235 sacks of maize from their 6-acre farm. It is expected that once the maize is shredded and sold it will generate USD $4,000. It will be enough to feed the school for a whole year, and there will be a balance for farming next season.

• Keeping Girls in School

248 adolscents (45% female) were trained in Sexual and Reproductive Health. The session are an important opporuntiy for learning on a range of topics including :

• Sexual and reproductive health
• Communicable and non communicable diseases
• Negative impacts of drug abuse
• General health and personal hygiene

• School Improvement - Water, Sanitation and Hygeine 

To promote good hygeine practices over 900 children in our primary schools received items for their personal hygeine, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, handkerchiefs and nail cutters (the feature photo of this update). During the distribution children were sensitised on how to use the items, and the ways in which they can maintain their hygeine and health. Good health ensures that children stay in school and continue their education.