This website is only viewable in landscape mode

CHRISTMAS

NEWSLETTER

(Not compatible with Internet Explorer.)

For many years The Sequoia Partnership has been working to support two schools in rural Kenya: Chome Primary and Kiwinda Secondary. Each Christmas, rather than sending cards to our many contacts, we make a donation to the two schools.

This Christmas we'd like to share how that contribution, combined with our various efforts over the year, has improved the school experience for the children of Chome and Kiwinda.

We hope you enjoy this Christmas walk down memory lane.

Some of our contacts often ask how they can get involved, so while it's completely discretionary if you would like to donate please get in contact though our main website [here].

School progress

2001-

Chome Primary School

When Sequoia first visited, the school consisted of 2 buildings, separated by a rolling hillside.

Plans were put in place to focus efforts first on repairing these buildings and creating a timeline for future works which included a staff room.

2003-

Chome Primary School

Work first begun on the staffroom and was completed by 2003, allowing teachers to have a place to prepare their lessons and mark work.

At the same time the classrooms were fitted out with more desks and additional learning materials.

2005-

Chome Primary School

With Chome being located in Taita Hills, a particularly hilly region, the school is built on uneven ground. Thus one of the projects included landscaping and installing 3 retaining walls to help level the ground. Staircases were also constructed facilitating access to each level.

At the same time a concrete water tank was installed, the first on the site. Guttering was replaced on the nearby building, and redirected into the water tank. The school children now no longer had to walk for miles to drink clean drinking water.

2006-

Chome Primary School

Each building had louvres installed to help keep the classrooms warm in winter. Each building was also treated with a new lick of paint inside and out!

With the local population rising and the school doing well in national exams, a growing need for a nursey building emerged. This was constructed towards the far end of the site and included a further rain water harvesting tanks, collected from the roofs of the nearby buildings

2007-

Chome Primary School

Students were having to walk home for lunches, often travelling long distances. Thus a cooking house was built to provide lunches, removing the need for them to travel back home for lunch.

The retaining walls were plastered and painted with educational materials such as maps and human physiology. Girls and boys bathrooms were installed and also some playground equipment!

2012-

Chome Primary School

The school was finally connected to the grid and received electricity! This allowed them to study for longer during darker hours and make better use of the laptops Sequoia has donated over the years.

2018-

Chome Primary School

To help fund the school meals the Governors suggested an initiative where by the school owns a cow and the milk produced is sold to the local community. For this a cow shed was constructed and a Frisian cow bought!

Now-

Chome Primary School

Chome has moved from achieving a 45% school mean grade in National exams to 58%. This is a significant achievement. The attitude of students, teachers, parents and the community at large is overwhelmingly positive towards the school. So much so it has become the local community centre where events are held.

Following the purchase of the cow, it has recently given birth. This not only has provided a great educational piece to the students, but will also provide extra income for the school.

Kiwinda Secondary School

We began to support the nearby secondary school, Kiwinda, in 2008. The area as a whole is desperately short of secondary school places, so the school and parents were keen to implement an expansion program to accommodate more students.

2008-

Kiwinda Secondary School

Like Chome, Sequoia first met Kiwinda when it had several buildings already constructed. However with growing numbers of students, further classrooms were needed.

Plans were drawn up to construct a 3 storey, 9 room building at the bottom of the school grounds. With this being a significant investment, the project would take a number of years to complete. Thus rooms were to be built and used in sections.

2010-

Kiwinda Secondary School

Within the first couple of years, the construction of two ground floor classrooms was complete and being used by students and staff.

The addition of these classrooms meant an old classroom within another building could be transformed into a science laboratory to ease congestion during science practical's.

2012-

Kiwinda Secondary School

Over the next couple of years further classrooms were constructed, beginning to add a first floor to the building.

2014-

Kiwinda Secondary School

By 2014 the entire first floor was complete and construction continued onto the second and final floor.

2016-

Kiwinda Secondary School

By 2016 the entire second floor was complete. One room was to be a much needed administration block, housing the School Principal, Secretary, Clerk and Store.

2017-

Kiwinda Secondary School

Construction of second walkway across to the second floor completed.

2018-

Kiwinda Secondary School

Like Chome, Kiwinda is built on a hillside. To ensure secure foundations, retaining walls were constructed around the new building.

Now-

Kiwinda Secondary School

When Sequoia first linked up Kiwinda the school grades were ranging between D to D-.

Grades have now improved, ranging between C to D, with a number of students securing places in middle level colleges and universities.

Merry Christmas



Disclaimer

The materials in this publication have been widely researched and drawn from publically available sources. We have strenuously avoided the infringement of any copyrights and will immediately remove any materials that do infringe upon notification by the rights holders. Any of the trademarks, service marks, collective marks, design rights or similar rights that are mentioned, used or cited in the publication are the property of their respective owners. Sequoia cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this publication which should be independently verified should you choose to rely on it in any way.