Ace Africa has been working with Southend Academy in Bungoma, Western Kenya, since 2006. Southend Academy provides for the most deprived children in the area, including many from the local slum. Since Ace Africa stepped in, with the financial support of Arisaig, the school has taken huge strides in improving school facilities and most importantly child welfare.

With the benefit of additional funding from Arisaig, Ace was able to carry out a facelift of Southend Academy. The original facilities were causing overcrowding of classrooms and a poor working environment, and as a solution, Ace Africa renovated 5 classrooms to restore them to being good working environments. Furthermore, the classrooms that failed certification were demolished, and replaced with two new buildings.

The newly constructed classroom with mural artwork completed by the children

Over the last year alone, the grants received from Arisaig have also contributed to many other improvements for Southend Academy, including:

• The addition of an extra staff member, bringing the total staff number to 8 (3 male, 5 female)
• Ace was able to pay the registration fees for 21 pupils to take the national exams that are crucial in order to transition to secondary school.
• 38 pupils have been provided with brand new school uniforms. According to the school director, Mr Mabonga, the new uniforms are extremely beneficial, as they “enable pupils to be smart both in school and outside school. Their confidence level in class has shot up unlike before when pupils were afraid to even stand up … due to poor conditions of their uniforms”.

A social worker receiving uniforms from the Head teacher to distribute to Southend Academy

Children receiving new school uniforms

• The provision of sanitary pads for female pupils means that they can attend class on a full time basis, whereas previously during menstruation they would stay at home, which was extremely disruptive to their education. Ace Africa provided 25 packets of reusable sanitary pads which has dramatically increased attendance among girls at Southend Academy. One pupil said: “Sanitary pads have enabled me to attend classes every day with confidence especially during my menses”.

Girls receive re-usable sanitary pads

• Finally, Ace Africa has spent money from Arisaig’s grants on providing IT services to Southend. In January, Ace donated 4 computers to the Academy, as well as an experienced IT trainer to teach the staff and the children. Currently, 8 teachers and 200 students attend computer classes three times a week.
  

  Staff and students benefit from an onsite IT trainer and computer lessons

Over the past few months Ace has made a considerable impact on the standard of Southend academy school, thanks to the generous funding from Arisaig. However, more still needs to be done, with work having been planned on purchasing new desks in order to allow more pupils to have their own desk rather than sharing, more beds for the increasing amount of boarders, a renovation of the unsanitary bathrooms, and installations of more mosquito nets. In any case, all the completed work has been exceedingly positive, and with continued support from Arisaig, the necessary improvements will be made.