The Bicycle Mission to the World (BMW) church organization has embarked on a mission of empowering communities in pastoral areas by improving their livelihoods and supporting residents with sustainable economic growth.
The church organization from the United States will build learning facilities in schools, plant trees and give livestock to residents. Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the boys’ dormitory at Borali Secondary school in Konyao Pokot North Sub County, donation of goats and tree seedlings, the organization sponsor Mrs JLWL Bora Lee said that they decided to empower residents in the area to change their lives and improve livelihoods.
Bora Lee said that the organization has set aside two million shillings which will be used to construct a dormitory at Borali secondary school in West Pokot County.
She cited that the organization will engage residents in business activities to empower the economically. “We have seen the potential in this place. What we are planning to do is to give the community more capacity building training and offer them the opportunity to grow,” she said.
Boralee said that residents in the area live in hardships and should be helped to improve their living standards. MBW President Pr Daniel Jun (BMW Kenya Branch) said the organization was drilling boreholes in the area. “This will enable pastoralists to be free to diversify into farming to cushion them. We support residents in West Pokot at Konyao, Chesta, Chepareria and Lomut,” he said.
He said the organization has opened up 8 high schools in pastoral areas in 7 Counties including West Pokot, Turkana, Isiolo and Narok. The school Principal Mr Elijah Lupoke lauded the organization for supporting learning facilities. Lopuke said that the learners in the area are faced with many challenges leading to low enrollment in schools.
The BMW Kenya Secretary Mr Solomon Lenana called on other donors to help alleviate poverty and improve education in the area. Konyau Deputy County Commissioner Mr Nick Mbita said that the education standard in the area was still low because of drought and famine. “We are still facing challenges. We have at least 350 pupils in every school. We have 16 primary schools and 17 ECD centres only,” he said.
Mbita urged other stakeholders to join hands in initiating development projects. “We want the County government and constituency Development fund to help,” he said. He said that there is need to ensure children have access to primary and secondary education. “We need to fast-track development,” he said.