Sign of the times in Syangeni: Sustainable solutions to create a safe learning environment for children
A clear mind is essential for learning. With children in ever greater numbers having access to electronic devices and exposed to content formats of diminishing length, concentration levels are threatened and educational performance in developed societies may suffer.
Now imagine that you have to contend with an increased risk of sexual violence on your walk to school; when you arrive at school, you are met by unmotivated teachers, given monotonous lunches and have to negotiate unreliable water and electricity supplies; and when you arrive home, you are unable to study.
Sadly, this is the reality facing the pupils of the PATRIZIA School Syangeni right now. Having been established by the PATRIZIA Foundation in partnership with Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V. (World Hunger Help) in 2017, the school has become an important educational hub in the Kitui region of Kenya – one of the poorest and driest areas of the country. Its establishment has led to a 20% improvement in student performance to bring it up to just below the national average, but its success attracted demand beyond its means and a project visit in 2023 revealed the challenges highlighted above.
