M-PESA and Safaricom Foundations have committed Ksh. 90 million in infrastructure and equipment support for various education projects in western Kenya. Learners at Chekombero Special School for the Deaf in Vihiga County, Mesabisabi Primary School in Kisii County and Myanga Primary School in Bungoma County are set to benefit.
At Chekombero Special School in Vihiga, the M-PESA Foundation broke ground on an infrastructure project worth Ksh. 50 million. The project will entail the renovation, construction and furnishing of classrooms, dormitories, an administration block, an ICT lab, a kitchen and dining hall. The Foundation will also drill and develop a borehole as well as construct sanitation facilities for learners and staff.
The Foundation also broke ground on school facilities worth Ksh. 40 million at Mesabisabi Primary School in Kisii County. This project will see learners at the school benefit from the construction and furnishing of classrooms, an ICT lab, and a school kitchen plus new toilets for learners.
Meanwhile, at Myanga Primary School in Bungoma County, Safaricom Foundation handed over ICT equipment worth Ksh. 500,000. The equipment consists of computers and projectors and routers for internet connectivity, and is set to empower learners at the school access digital learning.
Since its inception in 2010, M-PESA Foundation’s education programs have benefitted over 1.3 million learners in all 47 counties through initiatives. These include its infrastructure development program, and the M-PESA Foundation Academy, which enrolls disadvantaged children.
Commenting on the projects, Nicholas Ng’ang’a, Chairman, M-PESA Foundation said, “At M-PESA Foundation, we believe in investing in our communities, particulary to access education, which is one of the most pressing issues that are critical for socioeconomic development. We want to expand education opportunities by supporting schools with infrastructure, focusing on the neediest cases.”