School Safe Zone project

Education is a key part of society’s growth and progress. With education, people can significantly contribute to their families and society in various aspects and fields, thus creating a stable and restoring community. SSZ Project considered this and worked with 8 schools at Kipkomo, West Pokot and Pokot North sub counties in West Pokot County where access to a quality education is still inequitable.

This is the number of persons that gains an advantage from SSZ program. The SSZ project can benefit community either directly or indirectly. Total figure of 5,990 is the population of this program.

The direct beneficiaries are sponsored students and non-sponsored students, and the indirect beneficiaries of this program are teachers and communities that surrounds the 8 schools of SSZ program. This project is currently benefits a population of 2,024 out of 2,368 targeted population (teachers included) in all SSZ schools and 16 sponsored students. Indirect beneficiaries constituted to 3,950 community members who were mobilized through peer.

These schools are:

  1. Ngengechwo primary school
  2. Chepkram primary school
  3. Ngotut primary school
  4. Psirwo primary school
  5. Korelach primary school
  6. Chepakul primary school
  7. Kotulpogh primary school and
  8. Kapsentoi primary school

The SSZ program meant to strengthen these schools through physical infrastructure by constructing;

  1. Dormitories: To enhance the safety of the learners, the SSZ project has successfully constructed seven 70-capacitygirls’dormitories for the girls in 7 of the 8 schools.
  2. Class rooms: To enhance the space where learning can take place uninterrupted by the external distractions, the SSZ programs successfully constructed and renovated some classes in 8 SSZ schools. Up to date, Total of 8 classrooms were constructed in 3 out of 8 SSZ schools and 23 classrooms were successfully renovated in 5 out of 8 SSZ schools.
  3. Water equipment: Water is fundamental to life and is the common denominator of all sustainable development challenges. Water is essential in improving access to sanitation and hygiene in institutions. SSZ considered the access to water, sanitation and hygiene in some SSZ schools by issuing;

Water tanks: Out of 8 SSZ schools, 5 schools received water tanks. Each tank has a capacity of 10,000 litres. A part from SSZ schools, Yang`at community development extended its services to two more schools. That is Sholpogh and Amura primary schools where each school received 1 water tank that holds 10,000 litres. Generally, the total water tanks of 10,000 litres capacity issued by SSZ project are 9.

Hand washing tanks: Hand washing is one of the simple and most effective way to promote public health. During Covid-19 period, SSZ program responded to this and issued hand washing tanks to its schools. Each SSZ schools received two hand washing tanks that hold 50litres of water. This led to a total of 16 tanks of hand washing.

Litres of washing soap: Washing hands with water only is ineffective way to promote hygiene and sanitation. Soap and water is essentials of washing hands and it is important since it kills viruses when combined instead of using water only. In recognition of this, SSZ program installed complete washing stations in all its schools. Each school received liquid soaps of two 20litres. In general, a total of 320 litres of soap issued to 8 SSZ schools.

  1. Latrines and bathrooms: A collective sanitation system in schools should have latrines and bathrooms. The installations of latrines and bathrooms in schools is essential since pupils are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of poor sanitation conditions and lack of hygiene. It is also an important factor in education, especially for girls, many whom has been often observed leave school after puberty due to the lack of latrines and bathrooms. Total of 18 latrines with 60 doors were generally constructed in SSZ Schools and a total of 7 bathrooms with 44 doors were also constructed in 7 of SSZ schools.
  2. Pupil’s desks: Desks is among the school furniture that plays a significant role in the effectiveness of student learning. Desks contributes to the comfort, posture and the support of learners, all of which, contributes positively towards learners` ability to concentrate and work. As consideration of this, SSZ project issued 202 desks to some of its schools, where Ngengechwo received 50, Ngotut 42, Kotulpogh25and Chepkram 85desks

Sponsored students: To promote sense of addressing issues of education and livelihood support, Yang`at Community Development extended its services to the less privileged students in access to education. This is due to the ground check and founds out that, the students are indeed very needy. The sponsored students are from both secondary and tertiary institutions.