The Muhaka Primary School rebuild programme commenced in January 2007 as a part of a wider Camp Kenya gap year student project. The objective of the project overall is the improvement of educational facilities through the renovation and rebuild of the school infrastructure.
The funds for the infrastructure re-build are to be provided by SCT and the Camp Kenya gap year students are to be involved in assisting with construction, alongside teaching and other day to day valuable assistance at the school.
Why we want to help
On our initial visit to the Muhaka School back in April 2007, we met the headmaster at the Primary School who gave us a tour of the school and the facilities. The tour immediately highlighted the challenging conditions which existed at the school.
The school’s infrastructure was seriously run down and the poor conditions were leading to an uncomfortable and dangerous environment for the children. The basic school buildings were lacking in features which we take for granted in the UK. Many of the classrooms were missing windows and doors, and the roofs were badly corroded causing the classrooms to become waterlogged when it rained. The classrooms did not have solid floors and consisted of sand and dirt, which led to the children coming directly into contact with jigger worms which was leading to many of the children becoming infected and falling ill.
The initial visit clearly highlighted the need for funding to renovate and rebuild the school. The project met SCT’s funding criteria and offered an exciting opportunity for SCT to embark on a large education based project to support young children.
Muhaka Primary School, which is attended by children typically aged 6 to 14, is situated in the heart of the community on the lower slopes of the Shimba Hills of the Kwale District. The school is set next to a beautiful protected forest close to the main road leading to the rolling Shimba Hills and Sable Valley. The community is made up of the indigenous Digo tribe, who are mainly subsistence farmers and have limited income. The school was set up in 1944. Its total pupil population at the start of this project was 300.
The condemned Classroom block 3 before it was demolished
The school consisted of three classroom blocks, two of which had dilapidated floors with the third block in such poor condition that it was no longer in use. This structure had been condemned and needs to be demolished as it was beyond repair.
One of the classrooms in Block 3
Many children were actually taught under shady trees as there weren’t enough desks, chairs or classrooms to house them. This further resulted in an infestation of jigger worms, which bury their way into the students feet to hatch into eggs (and baby worms) later. This results in infections, medical bill’s and the inevitable loss of study time.
The schools headmaster had a very basic office shared with the teachers, there was no library, and each of the classrooms was limited to a small number of desks and chairs and a blackboard.
We visited Muhaka School again in June 2008 to review the progress of the project to date and to ensure that the funds to date had been used appropriately. We were given a tour of the school again by the headmaster and viewed the work to date.
Inside one of the new classrooms in Block 1
The project is running on budget and the management team were thrilled with the progress to date. The developments included:
Completion of the rehabilitation of the 4 classrooms in block 1;
Construction of 2 new classrooms in block 1;
Completion of the headmasters office;
Construction of the foundations for the 2 further new classrooms in Block 1;
Demolition of the dilapidated Block 3; and
Development of a nursery for the sustainable forest.
Block 2 where the new staff room, library and computer room will be built.
Feedback from the headmaster was extremely positive and he highlighted that the level of schooling had improved and recently for the first time 3 students have passed the entrance exam to secondary school. Total student numbers had increased from 300 to 450.
The headmaster explains what a success the project has been
In addition, the headmaster informed us that since the last classroom had been demolished, they had had no instances of jigger worms within the school.
The condemned Classroom block 3 before it was demolished
One of the classrooms in Block 3 
Inside one of the new classrooms in Block 1
Block 2 where the new staff room, library and computer room will be built.
The headmaster explains what a success the project has been 
