Join 

Adopt a school initiative became a movement during the COVID-19 pandemic when schools were given rules and regulations to comply with in order to be allowed to re-open the schools after they were forced to close for a period of time. Many remote schools in underserved areas did not have the infrastructure and funding to comply and further struggled to follow the general guidelines and school health policies. This was due to parent’s inability to pay for school fees and government often delaying to give schools enough resources. Further, the area was prone to flood with many schools used as evacuation camps and parents displaced having lost livelihood and sources of income.

 

The region in Western Kenya is further endemic for HIV and Malaria with in general high poverty rates and burden of disease. Because of this several school children are orphaned and staying with family or in child headed households. SWAP adopted several schools in partnership with alumni, humanitarian partners and private well-wishers. Following assessment and meetings with school board of management, selected schools were identified to receive some of the most urgent needs such as water tanks for rainwater harvesting, hand washing stations, soaps, menstrual hygiene products and building of sanitation blocks.  

 

Vaccination outreach was organized in collaboration with nearby health facilities for COVID 19, HPV, Malaria and deworming was organized in collaboration with the National Deworming program. Training was done on the National school health policy and guidelines to increase compliance and school health clubs started where children actively got involved. Solar was installed in some schools lacking electricity which allowed them to use modern teaching techniques and improved communication through mobile phone and email.

 

Selected schools benefitted from a mathematics resource centre courtesy of the World Mathematics Fund. To improve the nutritional status of the children, a charitable organization was found to cook daily lunch and SWAP build a kitchen with clean energy cook-stoves. More friends and partners got involved and in kind donations were also received from religious groups and private well-wishers.

​

As a result of the adopt a school initiative, schools showed better academic results, improved enrolment, better health and nutritional status and less teenage pregnancies. With more motivated teachers and school board of management also taking their own initiative to further improve by planting trees, starting kitchen gardens, organizing sports and drama competitions among others.Some of the adopted schools won prizes and received visits from the Ministry of Education appraising them for good innovation, performance and embracing partnerships.

 

Currently in Kenya there is massive youth unemployment and economic crisis and parents struggle or are unable to pay school fees. This is affecting the school attendance and performance since schools with less funding struggle to meet quality standards education. We are therefore seeking support to continue this movement of adopt a school initiative in remote areas.

 

Funding is needed for:

• Water tanks for rain water harvesting

• Hand washing stations with soap

• Solar Installation

• Improved sanitation blocks

• Menstrual Hygiene Products

• Food supplements

• Training on school health policy and establishing school health clubs

• Selected scholarship for total orphans and vulnerable children

• Vaccination outreach

• Deworming program