Ol Pejeta Conservancy in partnership between private donors, private sector and government gives a new home to 120 students in Mwituria, Laikipia.
On Saturday, the 3rd of July, in an official opening ceremony with members of the local community and local government, Ol Pejeta Conservancy officially handed over the two new dormitories for Mwituria Secondary School.
Mwituria is a mixed day school which was established in the year 2009 as a result of negotiation among the local leaders and the local community.
The aim was to avail secondary education to the local children.
Thanks to funding from Corteva Agriscience™, private donors, parents, the Laikipia East Constituency Development Fund, and local Government, the school can now act as a boarding school for 120 pupils.
This project took almost three years to come to completion and was originally set up to build one dormitory that could house 58 students.
But with an incredible generous donation from Corteva Agriscience™, Ol Pejeta was able to construct a teachers’ block and two dormitories.
This is truly a transformational project.
Our students have for years spent a lot of time walking long distances to school. Sometimes this can be unsafe, causes distractions and makes them quite tired by the time they get to class. Thanks to Ol Pejeta and Corteva, they can now focus on achieving their education goals
Boarding Master, Robert Githaka
Students Now Have Ample Time To Study
The school can start accepting boarding students from a wider catchment area, and Mwituria Secondary School is delighted with their new facilities.
Students will now be able to spend more time studying and will no longer have to walk a perilous journey every day to school, which can be particularly dangerous for girls.
We are very grateful for the donations as they have enabled us to build a dormitory – the only one in our community. it will make a big difference especially for us as girls as we will not need to worry about walking the long distances to and from school every day. We can now stay in school and concentrate on our studies.
Daisy Maiko, Form 3 Student
The school will begin to accept new form one pupils at the start of the new term in August 2021. This will be a priority over the coming year.
It is the only boarding school in a 15km radius, which means more children in the local area can access education as a result of this project.
By widening the catchment area, and by removing a long journey to school, Ol Pejeta and partners have helped to improve the lives of local children for generations to come.
Working with our donors and communities to deliver positive impacts and potentially change the narrative on education and improving educational outcomes, in small and big ways, is proof that conservation and community have much to do with each other
Ian Muiruri, Ol Pejeta’s Community Programmes Deputy Manager.
Capacity Enhancement
Whilst the school will be accepting new students, it will also ensure senior pupils already studying at the school are given preference.
It is a crucial time for these pupils and being at school full-time will allow them to study longer hours as they start to think about their future.
The school will work with parents and the Ministry of Education to fill the remaining places over the course of the academic year.
Mwituria Secondary School continues in its drive for better access to education for local children in line with its motto “strive to reach your destiny”.
Their mission is to improve the living standards of all through excellent teaching and learning, aimed at promoting the skills and the talents of our students; to propel them towards their hopes and dreams.
Now that it has converted into a boarding school, it has grand plans to continue raising funds for extra school supplies, increased security and community outreach projects.
Ol Pejeta is incredibly grateful to Corteva Agriscience™ and all of our generous donors who made this project possible and will continue to support education projects in the local area.
Corteva Agriscience
Corteva Agriscience™ is the only major agriscience company completely dedicated to agriculture.
By combining the strengths of DuPont Pioneer, DuPont Crop Protection and Dow AgroSciences, they’ve harnessed agriculture’s brightest minds and expertise gained over two centuries of scientific achievement.
They work with producers and consumers to create an agricultural ecosystem that naturally supports people, progress and the planet.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ol Pejeta is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East and Central Africa, and home to the last two remaining northern white rhinos on the planet.
It is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees, in a Sanctuary established to rehabilitate animals rescued from the black market. It has some of the highest predator densities in Kenya, and still manages a very successful livestock programme.
Ol Pejeta also seeks to support the people living around its borders, to ensure wildlife conservation translates to better education, healthcare and infrastructure for the next generation of wildlife guardians.
Now more than ever, wildlife conservation is inextricably linked with the livelihoods of local communities.
Ol Pejeta seeks to support the people living around its borders, to ensure wildlife conservation translates to better education, healthcare and infrastructure for the next generation of wildlife guardians.