Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), January 25, made a generous donation of over 1,500 books and 80 assorted tree seedlings to five primary schools and three secondary schools in the surrounding community.
The book donation included 237 Class 8 Primary School textbooks, 945 Secondary School textbooks, a variety of over 200 novels, from fiction and non-fiction, and 728 exercise books catering to the different interests and needs of the students.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi said the donation of the books was made with the intention of strengthening the learning and teaching in the beneficiary institutions. She urged the recipients to make effective use of the materials in order to inculcate a culture of reading among the young minds.
“We understand the importance of reading in shaping the future of young students and we are committed to supporting the education of our surrounding community. These books will be a valuable resource for the schools and we hope they will be used to foster learning among students,” said Prof. Ngumi.
With the donation of the tree seedlings, Prof. Ngumi urged the schools to indoctrinate a culture of planting trees among the students as a way of mitigating the effects of climate change. She urged the schools to take advantage of the donation and use it to teach students about preserving the environment.
“Planting trees is a simple but effective way of mitigating the effects of climate change and we hope that these schools will take this opportunity to teach their students about the importance of preserving the environment,” advised Prof. Ngumi.
The donation was received with great appreciation by the school administrators and teachers of Thiririka Primary, Kalimoni Primary, Gachororo Primary, GSU Primary, JKUAT Primary, Gachororo Secondary, Bob Haris Secondary and Juja Secondary, who acknowledged that the books would greatly enhance the learning experience of their students.
They also praised JKUAT for its continued efforts to support the education of the surrounding community and for recognizing the importance of reading in shaping the future of students.
Speaking during the donation ceremony, the Juja Sub-county Director of Education, Ms. Maureen Otum, thanked JKUAT for the gesture noting it would benefit both the pupils and students of the eight schools.
The book donation witnessed by the JKUAT University Management Board shows the University’s commitment to improving the education standards in the community.
Source: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology