Some 28 schools spread across Meru, Isiolo, and Laikipia counties have benefited from modern classrooms, digital learning tools, and other educational empowerment.
In a partnership welcomed by the Ministry of Education officials, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy's education department spearheaded the construction and commissioning of digitally-equipped classrooms to enhance learning, in addition to other facilities.
Speaking at Rugusu Primary in Buuri constituency in Meru on Tuesday during the handover of five new classrooms, Lewa's chief of programmes and partnerships, John Kinoti, and head of its education department, Purity Kinoti, said the idea was to give learners and teachers the best possible environment to thrive.
Lewa constructed and furnished 12 permanent classrooms and renovated two others at Rugusu, in addition to eight digital smartboards, 120 tablets for learners, and three laptops for teachers, topped with Starlink Wifi and paid monthly subscriptions.
Mr Kinoti, the educational assistance to Rugusu and other schools was part of the beneficial activities undertaken by Lewa to promote partnerships with the community in conservation and protection of wildlife and the environment.
He said the initiative is to give children in communities around conservancies a conducive learning environment.
"If a day is made of eight hours, almost six are spent by the children in classrooms, so it is important to have proper classrooms, and these is what we have delivered through the support of donors at Lewa," Kinoti said.
He said it was a result of the positive relationships the conservancy had with the communities around it.
"This is made possible because of wildlife and environmental conservation, and partnerships with the community," Kinoti noted.
Ms Kinoti said they had built 128 classrooms in 28 schools, furnished and installed digital learning tools in them, to enhance education in the region.
"These classrooms are furnished and installed with interactive smartboards and internet, so that the children can access digital resources," she said.
County Director of Education Joseph ole Maki, while appreciating the contribution by the conservancy towards education, said many learning institutions lacked such infrastructure.
