Maasai Girls High School, Narok County has benefited from a donation of Sh105 million to expand its infrastructure and pay fees for vulnerable students, courtesy of Merck Foundation.
The money has so far been used to build a dormitory to accommodate 1,000 students, a dining hall and sponsor 20 students from needy and vulnerable backgrounds.
Merck Foundation chairperson Prof. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, speaking during an occasion to inspect the ongoing projects at the institution, reiterated the importance of giving girls a decent education by offering them a conducive learning environment.
The German philanthropist observed that the dormitories are the girl’s second home, hence the need to make them comfortable, so that they can perform at their best.
“These girls have all it takes to be successful. They are our future county and national leaders, so we have to support them,” he said.
Narok County Women Representative Rebecca Tonkei and the school’s Board of Management (BoM) members led by the chairperson Charity Kisotu attended the event.
Tonkei thanked the Foundation for investing in the girls, saying the donation is a big win for the entire community, as many more girls would benefit from the kind gesture.
“Education is a shared responsibility. By investing in these girls, you are investing in the future of society. Your kindness will forever remain in the history of Maasai Girls,’ she noted
The women rep asked the girls to take good care of the facilities so that they can benefit many more girls who will be enrolled in the school in future.
“Infrastructure is a big challenge in schools across Kenya because we have a big population of students. “This donation is a big win, not only for this school but the entire Narok county,” she reiterated.
At the same time, Tonkei called on girls to reciprocate the kind gesture by concentrating more in their class work, aimed at producing good results in the national examinations.
“I am a proud product of the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, which catered for my school fees. The Foundation is the reason behind my academic success and the eventual election into the national assembly,” she said.
On her part, Kisotu encouraged the girls to work hard, recalling that she also came from a humble background but worked hard in school and later became a career civil servant.
“I have served as a Director at the Central Bank of Kenya, worked for Public Service Commission of Kenya, and now serve as a commissioner at the Judicial Service Commission. This means our girls too have the capacity of becoming great leaders in future,” she said.
Kisotu, an alumna of Maasai girls, also underscored the importance of the donation saying it will give the students a conducive environment for their studies.
The school Chief Principal Cecelia Teeka said the facility has a population of 1600 girls and 60 teachers.
By Ann Salaton
