Background

Aberdare Ranges Primary School was So They Can’s first project. As a result of negotiations with the Kenyan government and local Pipeline IDP (internally displaced persons) community in 2009, So They Can formed a unique partnership plan to establish, build and expand a primary school.

The vision of the partnership is to provide an excellent education of an international standard.

School doors opened in May of 2010 with the intake of our first 120 students at year one level. Every year we build new classrooms and facilities to intake 120 new students by way of an extensive needs assessment. In 2017 we will have reached our school’s capacity of 1080 children and 27 classrooms.

Aberdare Ranges Primary School Documentary

Partnership

So They Can has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kenyan government who have donated the land for the school, pay our teachers salaries and contribute to operational costs. We are the only publicly registered Kenyan school that we know of with an NGO holding the majority of the school board.

We also partner with every family who has a child in the school. Parents must volunteer at the school two days every term and workshops are held to encourage parents to engage with their children at home with homework and an external learning environment.

The School Today

We currently have 360 students enrolled, with 10 classrooms, a kitchen, an administration block (including offices and staffroom), an amazing library full of books and toys, a sports field and colourful adventure playground.

To ensure an international standard of education class sizes have a maximum of 40 students with highly qualified Kenyan teachers, a head teacher and deputy head teacher, alongside regular support from international volunteer teachers and education consultants. Our school assessment program sets Aberdare Ranges Primary School apart from other public Kenyan schools, with the curriculum and teaching methods regularly reviewed.

Looking Ahead

Our aim is to ensure that all our students pass entrance into secondary school (statistically only 20% of kenyan students pass this entrance exam). We have plans to build a secondary school so that we can continue a great education for these children as they grow into adulthood.