Jo Richardson Community School
Jo Richardson Community School first travelled out to Kenya with KE Adventure in 2007. They were keen to do a community project at a local school during their trip. The Juniper Trust arranged for them to spend three days at Island Primary School in the Likipia region, north of Nairobi. The students were kept busy painting classroom walls, building desks and making new friends. Find out more: History.
Having formed links with the Island Primary School, Jo Richardson were keep to maintain their support of the school and returned to Kenya in 2009 to build some new classrooms.
1n 2011, £4,000 was raised to complete the roofing and gutters for the three new classrooms and to purchase a large water tank. This will ensure that any rain that falls will be hygienically stored for use by the school. The water quality will be far better than the murky river water that is currently their only option.
Paul Hargreaves, a teacher at Jo Richardson school, has witnessed the evolving form of Island school on each visit. Classrooms have literally been raised from the ground, tables and benches built out of wood, classrooms painted, water tanks installed... The continueing support for this school has had such a positive impact on the lives of the hundreds of children who pass through its doors.
Diary Extract from Jo Richardson School visit in 2011…
Day 1 Early breakfast, then every one off to the school. There was plenty to do and very soon all were hard at work, building, moving and sorting bricks for the wall to go up. Lunch came rather quickly and about 1 hour later back to work. Similar work in the afternoon left everyone exhausted by 4.30pm. All up to the camp for hot showers and rest.
Day 3 The team divided up today to work on the veranda poles and iron sheets as well as painting and finishing off the four walls and to put the shuttering in place ready for the concrete pouring tomorrow. Again the day flew by with a slight interruption to go and see elephants who were close to the camp site. At about 4pm the local football team took on the JRCS and we had a very exciting game with the local finally winning 2-0. Every one back to the camp, tired and happy.
Day 4 The Mountain out in all its splendour today for all to look at at and see the final goal. Finished painting and most of the day mixing and pouring concrete. In fact no time to go to the camp for lunch and it had to be brought down for the kids so they made sure the concrete pouring was finished. A few fell by the way side but by 3.30pm they finished. How delighted the kids were and what a fantastic effort was made by all kids, staff and locals. In the evening we joined the school for a very nice supper along with the Island school head who made a very moving speech to thank the school and the Juniper Trust.