Garissa High School is appealing to its old boys and well wishers to help raise funds to improve facilities in the congested institution.
The Board of Management says there is an urgent need to expand the school's overstretched capacity due to the high number of students, which currently stands at 1,600.
Established in 1969, the national school continues to perform well in examinations despite infrastructure challenges.
BoM chairman Mohamed Abdi, who spoke at the school, reiterated the need to match the institution's national status with physical facilities that over time have been overstretched by the big number of admissions.
The board has identified a number of urgent needs for the school to achieve its objectives.
“The parents and the area leadership have already done their part in terms of participating towards the school's development. This time we feel we should engage the other part of the community like the alumni to contribute to the school generously,” Abdi said.
He added: “We believe that the envisaged development will be achieved with your support. We are therefore appealing to the alumni to come in large numbers and support and contribute to the school’s development.”
The culmination of the efforts will be on December 14 when there will be a major funds drive at the school.
Chief Principal Mohamud Dubat said that even though there has been a lot of improvement since the institution was established in 1969, a lot needs to be done in order to match its national status.
Speaking in his office, the principal said that even though the school continues to perform well in national exams, there is a need to improve the facilities that have been overstretched due to the high number of students.
Dubat, himself is an alumnus of the institution, disclosed that among the areas that need improvement include a perimeter wall and a major dormitory to accommodate the big number of students.
Others are establishment of a workshop for metalwork and woodwork, construction of a bigger mosque to accommodate the big number of students and construction of more houses for teachers.
This is why the school is appealing to the alumni and leaders to assist in development of the institution.
“The parents are helpful, however many of them are poor and therefore they cannot fully sponsor the developmental projects of the school. The previous principals did their best in terms of not only protecting the school's land but also maintaining the high standards of education. But we strongly feel that nothing much has been achieved since the school got national status,” Dubat said.
“It is for this reason that we are asking for help from our old boys and our leaders so that we can make the school a better place to learn and live.”
The school is always under threat from land grabbers and has managed to fence 320 meters with its meagre resources. Another 200 meters will soon be built.
Dubat said the school has big land that will take too long to fence if they were to rely on parents' contributions.
Imran Hassan, a Form 4 student, said that he had always wished to join Garissa High School and his dream came true.
He singled out the lack of a fence which poses a risk to the students' security and exposes them to drug peddlers.
“Looking at the dormitories we are currently using, the number of students has crowded them. Definitely, this is not good since it gives room for communicable diseases to spread. We also don’t have a multi-purpose hall and use the dinning hall,” Hassan said.