Safaricom, through the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations, has handed over KES65 million worth education facilities in Kisumu and Vihiga counties, to boost quality of education. 

In Vihiga County, Ekwanda Primary School received 15 classrooms for the grade 1 to 6, PP1 and PP2 learners, an administration block, a 40-seater ICT laboratory, a school kitchen and ablution blocks, in addition to securing the institution with a fence in the KES65 million project.

“Education remains an ultimate equaliser, opening doors to opportunities to improve lives. Adequate infrastructure is crucial in enhancing learning and teacher effectiveness, impacting performance, said Henry Kilonzo, Senior Manager, Safaricom Foundation Programmes.

Safaricom in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the County Governments of Kisumu and Vihiga have been working together to deliver this project, helping bridge the gap between student enrolment and infrastructure development, which has seen crowded classrooms, inadequate learning materials and deteriorating facilities in local schools.

In Kisumu County, Kibos Special School for the Visually Impaired now boasts of a fully equipped dormitory from the Safaricom Foundation in the same programme, having been equipped with 48 beds and 96 mattresses at a cost of KES10 million.

“We are always seeking ways to motivate our students perform better and these facilities will go a long way in providing a conducive environment for their overall well-being, allowing them to study better”, said Mrs. Rebecca Asiko, ag. Headmistress, Kibos Special School.

The introduction of the Free Primary Education (FPE) policy and the 100 percent transition to secondary school continues to exert pressure on existing education infrastructure. The need to accommodate a growing number of students thanks to rapid urbanisation, on the backdrop of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), schools now urgently require facilities that support conducive learning.

Since Inception, Safaricom through its Foundations has invested about KES512 million in education projects in Kisumu and Vihiga Counties, impacting the lives of over 1 million people.