Kenya Certificate of Primary Education candidates at Chepseon Primary School in Salgaa in Nakuru County can comfortably study for their national exams after the World Vision Kenya gave them desks.
The pupils who have been using the old model desks that are usually cumbersome and shared between four to five learners can now enjoy personal space during class time as they have individual desks.
World Vision Kenya Board vice chairperson Grace Munjuri said the 260 desks donated are worth more than one million and are meant to alleviate overcrowding in classes that carry approximately 80 pupils.
Learners in the lower classes at the school also benefitted from the donation because there was a surplus of the desks.
Chepseon Primary School is one of the six primary schools supported by World Vision in Salgaa alongside Belbur, Gicheha, Boito, Mimwaita, and Kayanet.
Munjuri said the main aim of the donation was to improve access to quality education in the area which had been recording high drop-out rates due to social and economic challenges.
"This is part of the work that we are doing here in Salgaa to improve learning conditions for children and ensure that they have the required learning resources,” Munjuri during the handing-over ceremony at the school.
She said the organisation had also embarked on improving education infrastructure and conducting public awareness campaigns and life skills training to combat child protection challenges in the transit town.
"World Vision remains steadfast in its commitment to transforming the lives of vulnerable children in Salgaa and beyond through strategic partnerships and holistic interventions by break the poverty cycle, violence and deprivation," she added
Munjuri noted that the aforementioned goals could only be achieved by empowering children to reach their full potential.
"To improve the wellbeing and education performance of girls, World Vision has also provided dignity kits comprising of sanitary pads and essential items such as soap, pants and lotion,” she said.
Boys also got dignity kits containing inner wears and toiletry items.
Munjuri called for collaborative action to address the pressing challenges affecting children in Salgaa, ana area located along the Nakuru-Kisumu-Eldoret Highway.
The area is a thriving industrial sector bustling with commercial activities driven by long distance truck drivers from various East African countries.
The town is also plagued by detrimental social issues such as alcoholism and commercial sex work, which are prevalent among the transient and local population.
Munjuri said these circumstances expose children to various forms of violence, including sexual abuse, teenage pregnancies, child neglect and child prostitution.
"Compounded by high poverty levels, many people in this busy town usually resort to these vices as a coping mechanism and quick income sources to meet their basic needs,” Munjuri observed.
She announced plans to initiate a Sh1 million per term feeding programme at Chepseon in partnership with the County Government of Nakuru and other key stakeholders.
"The feeding programme will enhance children's nutrition, improve school retention rates and ultimately boost learning outcomes," Munjuri said.
She noted that many students at the school come from families facing extreme poverty and lack sufficient food and often experience hunger.
"The already challenging food security situation in Salgaa has been further exacerbated by inadequate rainfall over the past two years that negatively impacted crop and livestock productivity," she said.