St Mary’s Girls’ Primary school in Nakuru Town East has embraced the art of shaping girls both in Education, art as well as environmental sector.
The school which is among the best in Nakuru as far as education is concerned has also embraced the education for sustainable development program with projects such as poultry, environmental conservation projects and art.
According to Fidelis Aula who is one of the persons spearheading the education for sustainable development program, the world is now focusing on the strategic development goals and therefore the education for sustainable development will ensure the goals are achieved.
“The world is now focusing on the Strategic Development Goals and therefore the education for sustainable development will ensure the goals are achieved. More so we are now imbedding this into our curriculum” he said.
The projects at St.Mary’s Girls Primary in Nakuru East Sub County include Poultry project and Environmental projects (Environment conservation) as well as artistic aspect –projects that are sponsored by Israel Embassy.
Nurit Hashimshong and Michal Dolev from Israel speaking when they visited the school commended the work being done especially on environment conservation through the ‘bottles project’ which the girls in the school are suing to make beautiful fence and at the same time conserve environmental.
While stating that the project was one of its kinds, the two guests called on other schools to embrace and emulate the same as far as environment conservation is concerned.
“We came from Israel and we just here in this school to see what they are doing as far as environmental conservation and we must say this school is doing great work and we hope other schools will also emulate the same” they said.
When you step in St.Mary’s Girls’ Primary school in Nakuru East indeed the conducive environment will welcome you before next you spot the bottle made fence allover which makes the environment even more beautiful.
But then how do bottles make a fence ?That is the question that lingers into one’s mind when you hear about this project being done in this school and which in one way is also advocating for clean environment.
Lucy Musanga-a standard Eight in the school and who is also the chairperson of the Environment club narrates that the project is one of its kind and brain child of their Head teacher who visited Israel on the same before coming back ad initiating the same in the school.
“We started this in 2015 after our Head teacher attended a conference on the same in Israel. The concept is simple we make holes in the bottles and then with the assistance of support staff we join the bottles with string to come up with a fence like the one you are seeing” narrates Musanga.
A walk in the school’s compound will enable one understand that indeed not only do the girls make this fence for the beauty of the school but in another way they are being shaped into environmentalists who are ensuring that no plastic bottles are littering the environment.
Apart from the environment club, the school is also empowering the girls through art where they make artistic items for sale hence the girls are economically empowered.
Hope Wangari who is the chairperson of the Art club in the school narrates that theirs is not only all about education but to produce an all round self reliable person who can depend on themselves even if they fail to pursue their career they can succeed through art.
“Here at art club we are not only about education but to produce an all round self reliable person even if we’ll no t be able to nurture our carrier we can achieve through art which can help in life” she said.
The club has a membership of 42 pupils who are drawn from all the classes from class four to standard eight all with their specific days and times to attend give ideas which are summed up on Saturday for production of an item.
This is indeed education for sustainable development which as the pupils state that they are empowered not only to excel in education but also in matters of art.
Fidelis Aula who is one of the persons spearheading the education for sustainable development program says this is an added advantage to learners adding that in situation where learners are fully engaged then the discipline in schools will improve.
“When you find learners spending their energy doing such productive things then discipline becomes super. They have a lot to engage and you can say they kill many birds with one stone. So we are grateful for this school and we have another called Kiamaina and we would like others to emulate same” he said.
According to the School’s Head teacher Mrs.Damaris Ochieng, theirs is to really embrace and implement what they were taught in Israel during their visit in 2015.
She says they are working closely with the other stakeholders to ensure that the girls in the school and the community at large embrace the same for sustainable development.
“Apart from the academics, we are also doing education for sustainable development and we can promise you that the girls when they leave St.Mary’s Girls Primary school after the 8 years they know what to do when in the community” she said.
Education for sustainable development program is being rolled out to schools across the country with aim to ensure that children are empowered academically as well as in terms of entrepreneurial skills in order to enable production of job creators in the education system.
It should be noted that for a long time the education system in Kenya has been producing job seekers hence no development.
PHOTO/Pristone Mambili:Pupils from St.Marys Girls Primary school in Nakuru Town East make a fence from used Plastic bottles.