Primary schools are as difficult to get to as hospitals in this area, often requiring days of walking. Education is at the heart of improving the Samburu people’s health and environment so we are building a network of semi-permanent schools to provide basic primary school education for the nomadic Samburu children. While I was visiting two teachers from New York were completing a month at Ol Malo training their Samburu colleagues in the Waldorf/Steiner style, especially adapted to Samburu culture. They had been working hard and I was amazed to see how enthusiastic the kids were to learn and how quickly the Samburu teachers were picking up new skills from their mentors. This exciting project is using local people to both build the schools and teach in them, providing sustainable education for the children. And when school finishes at lunchtime, adult classes are held to teach the older Samburu about protecting their environmental and health issues such as sexually transmitted diseases, trachoma and cholera.
One of the new nursery schools from the air
