Oloturot Expands With New Well and Classroom Building

Picture this… 30 preschoolers sitting below a giant tree signing joyful songs in Swahili, clapping to the ABCs, and of course some good old rowdiness. Behind this scene were parents who wanted a safe and nearby school for their children. The tree and a couple of teachers served them well.

 Five years ago this was Oloturot—a beautiful community within Kilgoris.

 Fast-forward to today and Oloturot has not only become part of the TKP community, but there is a thriving school, new buildings, and a well for this community. TKP began our partnership at Oloturot by hiring a few teachers and providing daily meals for the students, then added a church/multi-purpose building. Now, the 77 students and their teachers get to kick-off 2019 with a new classroom building and a fresh-water well equipped with a solar pump.

 “Despite Oloturot being only five years old, we have had thriving community support and great partners since the beginning,” said Suzie McNelly, TKP’s Director of Education. “Every day we see education being valued in this community. Parents now joyfully send their children to preschool and primary school at the right ages so they can continue to build a foundation for a strong education and future.”

 Special thanks to several generous donors who have help fund the expansion of Oloturot. The entire community now benefits from now only the educational resources for their children, but from the church building and reliable access to clean water.

Friends of TKP joined for the ceremonial opening of the well at Oloturot in February.

100 Percent of TKP Graduates Attending High School

Freshly pressed high school uniforms…big smiles…proud families. These were all on display as TKP’s 66 2018 primary school graduates recently celebrated their teachers and their 100 percent high school acceptance rate.

In a community where 60 percent of students at government schools fail to qualify for high school, TKP once again sent all graduates to high school. The dedication of TKP’s eighth graders, the perseverance of their teachers, and the commitment of their parents is evident across TKP’s campuses. Over the last two years, 95 percent of all TKP students scored above the national average on the Kenyan high school entrance exam—including another standout this year.

Students and teachers gather to celebrate the new graduates.

Included in the 66 new graduates is Joshua Kukutia who scored in the top one percent of all Kenyan students and earned Equity Bank’s “Wings to Fly Scholarship”. The scholarship is awarded to the top 1,000 students in Kenya and will pay for his high school and university education. Joshua is now enrolled in Nairobi’s elite Alliance High School with plans to attend university.

 “It’s amazing to see our children grow from preschool to eighth grade,” said Sabina Lenkarie, Education Officer for TKP, “It brings great change to the community when our children pass well and join great high schools and universities all over Kenya.”

 Thanks to a new scholarship pool, all TKP students who are orphans are granted a scholarship for four years of high school, and most first year costs are covered for the rest of the graduating class. This new scholarship pool, along with a TKP graduation gift, creates a bridge for parents to continue saving for high school, while easing their financial burden.

TKP’s strong foundation of primary school education and getting students into school at the right age (many graduates have been with TKP since preschool) is setting a new standard of education in the Kilgoris community. Our expanded community of donors continues to make real impact through education and opportunities in Kilgoris and beyond.

Graduates line up outside of school wearing their new uniforms.