The Safaricom Foundation has officially unveiled four renovated classrooms to Makutano primary school in Likuyani Sub County of Kakamega County. Mr. Michael Thuo, the Foundation’s Sales Manager in charge of Rift Region, presided over the unveiling ceremony held at the school.
Addressing parents and the school fraternity, Thuo revealed renovation of the four classrooms had cost the Safaricom Company Limited, a mobile service provider, a total of Sh.900,080. That was the second time the school was benefiting from Safaricom
Foundation’s Pamoja Initiative outreach programme.
The foundation had renovated four classrooms, besides constructing 60 desks for pupils and 12 staff room tables for teachers in the first phase two years ago at a cost of Sh.978,240. “The Safaricom Foundation has so far spent over Kshs. 1.8 million toward
infrastructural development in this primary school,” Thuo told the jovial pupils, teachers and parents.
The Sales manager noted the main objective of the foundation’s initiative was to help schools across the country provide favourable learning environments for both the pupils and teachers.
“Safaricom has been striving to help the government address the challenge of inadequate learning space since the conception of the free learning programme in public primary schools in 2003,” remarked Thuo.
He clarified the Pamoja Initiative was one of Safaricom company’s Community Service Responsibility (CRS) outreach programmes. “The initiative targets the company’s outstanding employees who are asked to select a project that will benefit community from their rural homes,” revealed Thuo, adding whereas the mobile service provider funds up to 90 percent, the community is expected to contribute the remaining 10
percent.
He thanked Mr. Magellan Otanga, an employee of the company and a resident of Likuyani, for identifying Makutano primary school a beneficiary of the Pamoja Initiative and also for personally raising the extra 10 percent.
On his part, Otanga, a former pupil at the institution, thanked his employer for what he described as a kind gesture. “The problem of jiggers which had almost become perennial in this school has finally been addressed through this noble imitative,” observed Otanga who encouraged the learners to exploit the improved learning environment and excel in their studies. Mr. Peter Onyino, the school’s headteacher thanked Safaricom on
behalf of the school community.