By Turk Pipkin | Project Leader
Everywhere I traveled in Kenya this December and January, I was asked to send special thanks to our supporters who've made it possible to have so much impact at our partner schools and their communities. Since we're now working in various capacities with 20 partner schools, it's almost impossible to distill all the work in to one report. But here are a few highlights of my recent trip that focus on great work from 2013 and great work to come in 2014.
At Konyit Primary near Elodret, we had our first on-site meetings with staff, parents and the Board of Governors and finalized plans to build essentially and entire new school here. Konyit is a wonderful school with severe facilty challenges. In the next year we will partner with this community to build 8 permanent stone classrooms, a purified water system, toiets, new preschool and renovate existing buildings for a new kitchen, library, dining hall, computer lab and admin facility. Less than two months after that first meeting, we have a new school design from Mahiga architect Greg Elsner, a great local contractor and construction is now underway!
Almost at the opposite end of Kenya, near Amboselli National Park, I was very moved by the kids at Enkongu Narok Primary, an isolated Massai school where only two girls completed the 8th grade last year. A new girls dorm is going to help alleve the problems of girls being chosen for marriage at too young an age, and we are committed to improving conditions at the dorm, just as the girls assured me they are committed to completing their education. The first step was mosquito nets for the dorm - those are now in place. And we are planning - and fundraising - to build a purified rainwater system on the dorm and another on the main school buildings. This is a great project that is worthy of your support.
On the way back north, I stopped to cut the ribbons on two new classrooms at Mutaki Primary, where enrollment has grown from 40 to 200.
And back in the Aberdares, I toured our partner schools at Mahiga, Kiguru, Amboni and Mugaka, and we are happy to be starting new partnership projects at Laborra Primary and Kamiruri Primary. One of my favorite stops - as always - was at the school on the hill - Mugaka Primary - a long drive up the mountain but worth it to see these beautiful kids thriving in their new school environment. Our architect partner Joseph Kagiri, who is from this community, has done an incredible job in building all the new classrooms at Mugaka.
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