A PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR THE CHILDREN IN KINAKONI

Education

KINAKONI - a village fighting hunger and poverty

CONSTRUCTION OF A PRIMARY SCHOOL

The village of Kinakoni is located 250 kilometers from the capital, Nairobi, in southeastern Kenya. The entire region is struggling with water shortages, hunger and poverty. A lack of rain has made the situation worse for the villagers and many children in the 5,000-strong village of Kinakoni suffer from malnutrition. Where droughts in the past only occurred every 10 years and lasted a few months, they are now so frequent and long-lasting that nature can hardly recover between dry periods.

In addition to these serious consequences of climate change, the low standard of education among the population, especially in rural Kenya, continues to play a significant role in hunger and poverty. Gemeinsam mit der Welthungerhilfe und der Stiftung stern hat sich die Regine Sixt Kinderhilfe Stiftung zum Ziel gesetzt in dieser Situation zu helfen – angefangen mit dem Dorf Kinakoni.

KINAKONI FROM ABOVE

A drone flight over Kinakoni shows the village and its surroundings from above. The short film also gives a small insight into the efforts of farmers to fight hunger. Every milliliter of water is valuable and not only has to supply the villagers, but also the plants that are essential for survival. That is why, at the suggestion of kenyan agricultural researcher, the cultivation around the well is currently being tested. This is located in the riverbed of the Itumba River, which has now almost dried up.

In Kinakoni, the people with stern and Welthungerhilfe are looking for new sustainable solutions against hunger that can be adapted by other surrounding villages. We are pleased that the Regine Sixt Children's Aid Foundation is supporting us so strongly with the construction of the school. So that future generations can build a future for themselves.

— Anna-Beeke Gretemeier, Chair of the stern Foundation

News from Kinakoni

Bild zeigt einen Jungen und ein Mädchen aus Kinakoni und einen kurzen Text, der sagt "4 Dinge über die Schule in Kinakoni"

Insights into everyday school life in Kinakoni

April 2023

For most of us, education is part of growing up. But education and going to school is not a matter of course for many children. The construction of the elementary school in Kinakoni is a project close to our hearts. Together with stern, RTL has founded a channel on the TikTok social network, where interesting videos provide insights into the village, report on project work and also show life in Kenya. Did you know, for example, that the children in Kinakoni have to walk 2 hours to school every day and have to pay money for school? The video shows 4 things you should know about the school in Kinakoni.

Click here for the video

Building of the school is progressing

24. January 2023

In the meantime, the construction work on the new school has progressed. In four of the ten classrooms, windows, doors and roofs have now been renewed and the electrical system installed. This also applies to the adjoining administration building, so that it meets office standards and can accommodate the growing number of teachers. The plastering work for both buildings is currently in full swing. A pond has already been completed in the schoolyard, in which future rainwater for the vegetable garden will be collected. The next step will be to renovate the school kitchen so that students and teachers can be catered for during school hours - for many this is the only warm meal of the day.

First harvest successes

16. January 2023

With the support of the project team, two water tanks were installed in spring 2022, each holding 225,000 liters of water and fed by rainwater. In the immediate vicinity of the tanks, test fields for planting were created with the help of Kenyan agricultural researchers. Based on these fields, the villagers learn about different cultivation methods and test them under local conditions. In the meantime, some fields are bearing the first fruits, which can now be harvested - a great success for Kinakoni!

ESTABLISHMENT OF AN IT CENTER

25. September 2022

Internet access is not available in the entire village of Kinakoni - at least that was the case until now. Virginia Mulwa wants to change that. Originally from Kinakoni, Virginia has been able to acquire IT skills in Nairobi for the past few years. Now she has returned to the village to share her knowledge. With the support of the project team, she and other computer trainers opened a small IT center in Kinakoni for this purpose. The children in particular should benefit from this. The start-up "STEM Impact Center Kenya" is involved in the professional education of the children and teaches them programming in a playful way.

THE FOUNDATION OF THE SCHOOL

18. August 2022

The time has finally come and the construction of the Kinakoni primary school will start in August 2022. Under the guidance of experts, the whole village lends a hand. A total of ten classrooms are to be built so that the approximately 250 children have enough space to study. The school will also have an extension for the sanitary facilities in order to improve the hygiene situation of the approximately 140 girls and 110 boys. Renovation and new construction of the buildings will take ten to twelve months.

Further information on the project and the commitment of the stern Foundation and Welthungerhilfe can be found here.