Somewhere between Narok and the Maasai Mara National Park, in the middle of nowhere, stands a school with a really special story: Ripoi Primary School.
In 2015 our kenyan partners from Marafiki were traveling home from the Maasai Mara to Nairobi, when they noticed a group of children under a tree. Almost 60 children gathered in the shadow of the tree with only one adult. She was teaching them to read and to write in English and Swahili to the best of her ability.
Based on this special group of children and one enthusiastic local adult, with the help of Marafiki, Ripoi Primary School was established. Now in 2022 almost 300 students are enrolled in the school. Children come here from all directions, since there is no other school in the area. They are so happy that they finally have a school in the area that they come, even if they have to walk long distances to get here.
One of our very first projects as an association in Asante, was supporting this school. We were present at the opening ceremony of some of the new classrooms a couple years ago and since than the school has only kept improving with the help of volunteers and donors. Now, returning to the school in 2022 it was incredible to see how quickly the building and the number of the children grew. Since the last time we’ve been here, water has become more accessible to the local communities which had a great role in the growing number of the students. Now the children don’t have to spend their day walking to fetch water for their families, which allows them to come to the school and learn.
Currently, there are 5 classrooms in use, and there are 2 more under construction. Due to the great number of students, now the government provides teachers to the school, so the local teachers and the governmental ones are teaching together. We have many more ideas and plans for this school, including setting up solar panels to supply electricity in the building.
This school is based on the local community. They were the ones who started teaching the children. We only give them the opportunity and the tools to grow and develop. Only this way, by working together can we achieve long standing, sustainable results.
