The world famous Kogelo village, the ancestral home of the US President Barack Obama in Siaya County, is about to get a new attraction.
And it is not the coming of its famous son on July 24, as he is yet to confirm whether he will be visiting the birthplace of his father, Barack Obama Sr, but a state of the art educational centre.
The project is the brainchild of the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation, her legacy following a lifetime of philanthropy. The project will comprise a secondary school, a primary school and an early childhood development centre. The centre will hold a capacity of 1,000 pupils including preschoolers, most of whom are from poor backgrounds.
The project’s ground-breaking ceremony will be held on Saturday July 18, a week to Obama’s visit. When complete, each school will have its own age-specific amenities including libraries, playgrounds and sports fields.
Orphans
According the foundation, the project is a culmination of Mama Sarah’s service to women and orphans. Though uneducated herself, Mama Sarah knows very well that education is the key to success, the reason she rode the president’s father on a bicycle to school.
This sacrifice paid off, and Barrack Sr ended up at the prestigious Harvard University, a sojourn that saw him marry a white American woman who would later give birth to the future President.
The educational complex is designed by the world famous Francis Kere, a Burkinabe architect.
Kere’s trademark is designing green buildings that are modern, safe and environmentally friendly.
He has earned numerous awards and lecture opportunities in leading world universities.
