A needy School from a remote Village in Kenya was among 500 beneficiaries to receive support from a leading Communications Company in Kenya. Ikokani Primary school received a 10,000 litres water storage tank through a partnership with James Mwania, one of the Students of the Together for a New Africa T4NA Program and Safaricom Limited.
After the January 2019 leadership training in Nairobi, James went back home and wanted to do something concrete that has an impact to the community. Fortunately he saw an advertisement from the leading communications company in Kenya requesting for proposals for individual or groups who had a dream for their community.
Through an initiative dubbed Ndoto zetu (our dreams) by the largest communications company in Kenya, James wrote a proposal after seeing the need of the school. The proposal of the tank was among other many proposals that had been submitted.
The proposal was on provision of water storage tanks to very needy schools in the community. Ikokani Primary school, a public school with a population of 580 pupils was among the proposed schools to receive the tanks. Almost all the students from Ikokani Primary come from very poor families living below a dollar per day. The school has classrooms which have no doors, windows and have earthen floor which attracts a lot of dust. This has made the pupils to carry water from home every day to pour on the floor so as to settle down dust.
On the other hand, the pupils have found it challenging to get clean drinking water because the school does not have piped water. Many students have suffered from waterborne diseases due to drinking contaminated water. With the only unreliable source being a neighboring borehole, students were repeatedly forced to carry water from home to tend to their needs.
When the proposal was approved, James who had contact the school administration to share the good news. The teachers and pupils were very happy to receive such a donation which parents could not afford to buy. Teachers from the school, parents, pupils and local authorities expressed their gratitude for getting such an honor. The proposal to provide water tanks was among five hundred other proposals that were approved and will be fully sponsored by Safaricom Limited.
April 16th 2019 is the day when the tanks were delivered to the school. On site to receive the tank were the school administration led by the school head teacher, all the pupils and some parents.
The school head teacher expressed her personal gratitude for seeing someone who has a great concern about his community. “I was not aware of such good news that we are having and celebrating today, we thank you very much for proposing our school to be among the beneficiaries, you can see how our pupils are happy to receive such a gift. Thank you very much” Said Mrs. Vala the head teacher of Ikokani Primary School.
With over 200 pupils, Ikokani primary school and the surrounding community would have to look far and wide to find clean drinking and cooking water. For now the school will be harvesting rain water which will be used for daily activities within the school. The next idea is to have piped water connected to the school because the area does not receive reliable rainfall.
