Safaricom has committed Sh51 million towards the construction of additional facilities at Eldoret Special School for the Intellectually Challenged in Uasin Gishu County, in a move expected to strengthen learning, accommodation and vocational skills development for learners with special needs. The project was launched during a groundbreaking ceremony at the school on Saturday and will include two dormitories, three vocational classrooms and a borehole fitted with solar-powered water-heating facilities.
Investment to Expand Skills Training
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Safaricom Chief People Officer Florence Nyokabi said the investment was part of the company’s partnership with Uasin Gishu County, which focuses on improving education, healthcare and economic empowerment. Nyokabi said the infrastructure was intended to create an enabling environment where learners with intellectual challenges can develop their abilities and acquire skills that can support their independence.
“The reason behind this physical infrastructure is the empowerment that learning will bring to children and people with special needs, so that we lift their capabilities to thrive and have equal opportunities to succeed in the external world,” Nyokabi said.
She disclosed that Safaricom has supported 106 projects in Uasin Gishu County at a cost of more than Sh600 million, with education receiving the largest share of the company’s investment. The latest project follows a commitment made by Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Dr Peter Ndegwa during a previous visit to the school to strengthen the company’s support for the institution.
Safaricom has previously supported vocational training at the school by providing equipment, including hairdressing equipment, to enable learners to put the skills they acquire during training into practice.
New Vocational Classrooms to Support Practical Skills
The three new vocational classrooms are expected to expand opportunities for learners to acquire practical and livelihood-oriented skills. Nyokabi said the project should not be viewed solely as an infrastructure investment but as part of a broader effort to empower learners with special needs to participate more fully in society and access opportunities beyond school. The new borehole will also improve the institution’s water supply and could potentially serve neighbouring institutions, according to Nyokabi. Construction is expected to take 45 weeks, with the completed facilities scheduled to be opened in June 2027.
School Calls for More Focus on Learners’ Talents
The school’s Head of Institution, Dina Chebaskony, welcomed the investment, saying the new facilities would provide learners with a safer and more conducive environment to learn, live and develop practical skills. She said the two dormitories would improve accommodation, while the vocational classrooms would create additional opportunities for learners to develop skills that could eventually translate into careers and livelihoods. Chebaskony emphasized the importance of identifying and nurturing the abilities of learners with intellectual challenges, noting that limitations in reading and writing do not prevent them from acquiring practical skills.
“Talent learned today will be a career tomorrow, while a skill learned today will bring about a better livelihood for learners with special needs tomorrow,” she said.
She added that learners with intellectual challenges have the potential to contribute meaningfully to society when provided with appropriate training, equipment and support.
School Seeks Sports Facility Development
Beyond vocational training, Chebaskony called for the development of the school’s swampy sports field into a modern sporting facility. She said some learners had demonstrated exceptional sporting abilities and had gone on to compete at national and international levels. The school head thanked Safaricom for investing in learners with intellectual challenges and recognising their abilities beyond their disabilities.
“Thank you for thinking about our learners with intellectual challenges, who have for a long time been left behind by society, and for looking beyond their disabilities to see the abilities and talents that can transform their lives,” Chebaskony said.
The investment is expected to strengthen inclusive education at the institution while giving learners greater access to accommodation, practical skills training, water and other facilities needed to support their development and transition into more independent livelihoods.