Governor Benjamin Cheboi has expressed his gratitude to World Vision as they embark on a multi-million project to construct the first secondary school in Akoret location, situated in Tiaty West Sub-County that is set to boost education hence have a bright future.
Cheboi was speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony at the school grounds and was accompanied by various leaders including Member of Parliament (MP) William Kamket, Education County Executive Simon Kyuta, various members of county assembly (MCAs) together with Gilbert Kamanga the National Director for World Vision Kenya and noted that the project would go a long way in enhancing education for vulnerable children in the county at large.
“We recognize and appreciate the sacrifice in setting up a facility to enable our children to acquire knowledge. I believe that through this initiative, the next 5 or 10 years, the area will be a beehive of activity that will benefit the community and boost development,” Cheboi said.
The Governor also promised to support by sinking a borehole within the next six months to provide water as part of the county government’s contribution to the project noting that access to water will also go a long way in providing the much-needed water to the people of Kamurio sub-location where the school will be located.
Kamket in his address said education was the best investment that leaders could invest in saying that during his first term in parliament, he spearheaded the setting up of Chemolingot medical training college and was satisfied that the residents have benefited from the college and students have access to education hence look forward to a brighter future.
Kyuta noted that the rising cases of school dropouts was attributed to insecurity and banditry coupled with drought, harmful cultural practices such as FGM and forced child marriages but said that his department was keen to keep children in school through providing them with relief food as the biting drought had adversely affected them.
“Pastoralist communities move from place to place in search of pastures therefore increasing the number of dropouts but we want to urge residents to keep their children in school for a better tomorrow,” he said.
In his remarks, Kamanga appreciated the County Government of Baringo and the community for creating an enabling environment for the well-being of children adding that the investment will improve female literacy levels, create a safe learning environment for girls and increase accessibility to higher education for both boys and girls within the Tiaty community due to the reduced cost of acquiring secondary education.
“As World Vision, we celebrate the community for allowing us to partner with them in enhancing the lives of children through education and also appreciate the Governor and his Government for collaborating with us on this front and providing a space for us to put up this school,” he said.
In addition, the school project which is being implemented through the organization’s Kenya Big Dream Programme, will increase access to affordable education, reduce school dropouts and create a rescue center for the survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), as well as reduce child marriages that have been rife in the region.
A recent baseline survey conducted by World Vision in Tiaty indicates that the percentage of primary-school-age children enrolled in primary schools is 33.9 percent, despite the free primary and day secondary school education programs rolled out by the Government of Kenya.
The project will be implemented in two phases covering two years, and will involve the construction of classrooms, science laboratories, a library, two 58-bed dormitories, a dining hall with a Kitchen, an administration block, among other resources. In addition, it will equip the facilities with the appropriate equipment.
Source: Kenya News Agency