Education
Education is the strongest tool one can utilise to survive in the current millennium. Kenya continues to strengthen an underfunded education system through school reforms that promise institutional changes in structure and curriculum design, but obstacles remain, such as high poverty levels in rural communities.
The Lewa Education Programme supports local young and adult learners in developing the skills needed to pursue greater economic possibilities, while also instilling a profound appreciation for conservation. Since 2000, LEP has supported more than 50,000 students in acquiring the knowledge and skills required to pursue greater economic opportunities.
Our programme collaborates closely with 23 government schools to provide critical help to more than 8,000 kids. LEP invests in teacher training, infrastructure improvement, scholarships for devoted students, and digital literacy workshops based on the needs stated by teachers, schools, and community people.
- 5,000 + learners in Lewa-supported schools benefited from the Feeding Programme in 2022
- 2,300 girls benefited from the Sanitary Towels Programme
- 40 Lewa staff mentored 200 bursary students
School Programmes
Infrastructure
To ensure students learn in better conditions, Lewa improved the school infrastructure and other supportive facilities in the following schools:
- Akadeli Primary: Classroom, furniture, and bathroom facilities
- Sanga Primary: Bathroom facilities
- Subuiga Primary: Furniture and school gate
- Kilimani Primary: Administration block
- Ntumburi Primary: Energy-saving stoves
- Lokusero Secondary: Teacher housing and classroom
- Elsa Secondary: Classroom
- Lewa Primary: Bathrooms and school garden
- Enaikishomi Primary: Predator-proof fence, general repair and maintenance
- Rehema Children’s Home: Girls’ dormitory, boys’ dormitory, computer classroom and library
- Lewa Matunda: Digital Literacy Office
Angaza : Lighting Lives through Learning
Angaza means illuminate in Swahili. Our Angaza program provides underprivileged children with access to quality education and a brighter future. This is accomplished through a comprehensive package that covers not only tuition, but also essentials like school supplies, transportation, uniforms, and mentorship.
Many children in rural Kenya do not have access to quality education and aren’t provided with the opportunity to gain new perspectives, develop their talents, and pursue their dreams. Without education, young people often become reliant on livelihoods that depend on finite natural resources.
Lewa recognizes that long-term conservation requires strong education that leads to sustainable opportunities.
Lewa accepts 50 new student applications for bursary (scholarship) support each year. Without scholarships, many of these children are unable to attend high school. It costs $6,000 to send one child to school for four years ($1,500 per year). This fee covers not only instruction, but supplies, transportation, uniforms, tutorial services, career counseling, and ongoing mentorship and support.
- 1,000+ students graduated from high school and tertiary institutions since the inception of Lewa’s scholarship program
- 300+ students receive full scholarships every year
- 59% of scholarship students scored a C+ or above in the 2022 national exams, up from 52% in 2021
Together we can illuminate a path to success, one scholarship at a time.
Digital Literacy: Empowering Young Learners
In 2016, the Kenyan government distributed over a million digital tablets to more than 19,000 public primary schools.To supplement the national programme, Lewa provided free, age-appropriate digital content that was accessible offline, as well as library infrastructure and management technology. Lewa’s Digital Literacy Programme won the Google Impact Challenge in 2018.
Digitally savvy students can pursue careers in technology and thrive in global labour markets, increasing their economic potential and providing them and their communities with a better alternative source of livelihood.
Tablets
Laptops
Specktron Boards
Content Access Points
763
Tablets
103
Laptops
56
Specktron Boards
19
Content Access Points
Conservation Education
Beyond Lewa’s boundaries, northern Kenya is facing a horde of ecological problems. From degraded landscapes to rapidly diminishing natural resources, widespread conservation awareness is required to reverse these negative trends.
The Lewa Conservation Education Programme works to help Kenya’s learners understand the complexities of these ecological problems, and how they can be a part of the solution. We provide young, inquisitive minds with the tools and information needed to do better for the environment and wildlife, both in school and at home, empowering a new generation of environmental stewards.
Activities
Game Drives
These offer students close encounters with wildlife. By being exposed to plants and animals in their indigenous habitats, students develop an appreciation for biodiversity and environmental protection. Many experience wildlife for the first time, and these up-close interactions leave a lasting impression.
Conservation Education Centre
Visits to the Lewa-based education centre aim to give students hands-on experience in helping solve environmental challenges through projects, interactive exhibits, and practical actions.
Outreach to Schools
Our conservation educators periodically visit the Lewa-supported schools to assist teachers in initiating environmental activities and implementing an environmental curriculum.
Wildlife and Environmental clubs in schools
Educators engage teachers and students in the establishment of wildlife and environmental clubs in schools to help nurture interest in nature and inculcate a culture of conservation.
Teacher Training Workshops
The team spearheads training of teachers on how to integrate conservation issues in the school curriculum and activities.
“Lewa operates at the crossroads of wildlife conservation and sustainable development. Employing a participatory approach, we work closely with neighbouring communities to create positive community based and led conservation change.”
