Emorijoi

The region of Emorijoi is located in the Narok County of Kenya. The community is predominantly composed of the Kipsigis ethnic group.

WE Charity partnered with Emorijoi to implement community-led, holistic, and sustainable programming across the five-pillar development model to support new resources and expanded access to education, clean water, health care, food security, and economic opportunities.

Together, we have built sustainable mechanisms to support community growth as the people within the region of Emorijoi continue to drive their own transformational impacts.

Emorijoi primary school is in one of the first primary schools with which WE Charity was active in Kenya. The primary school was originally located on a pathway which was a regular elephant crossing. As a result, it was necessary to have a near full time teacher on “elephant watch” to ensure the safety of the children during the migration season of the large animals. Students would be released early from school when the elephants were spotted.

Together with WE Charity, the community decided to relocate their old primary school rooms, which were comprised of mud, cow dung and sticks, to a new location away from the elephant migration path. Because of the partnership and support of the organization, an elder donated a plot of land to allow for construction, and the community fundraised amongst themselves to purchase the adjacent land to serve as the playing field. 

It’s impressive to see the change. The primary school began with less than 200 students and now has a population over three times the size. What began as a teaching staff of five has grown to a group of 17 educators. A number of teachers’ accommodations have also been built to ensure top quality teachers can be attracted from outside the region. 

In order to support all of that growth, WE Charity has worked with and renovated the feeder high school in the region to allow for greater capacity and quality of post primary education. That work has included renovation of classrooms.

The following photos represent the 28 schools or school rooms constructed or renovated by WE Charity in the region of Emorijoi. Each of the photos corresponds to a unique room including classrooms, a library, teachers’ accommodations, or a school kitchen. 

The following community highlights reflect some of the impacts from our partnership with the community of Emorijoi.

EDUCATION

90% increase in student enrollment since our partnership began
Balanced enrollment between girls and boys

Improved teacher to student ratio
Improved transition rate from primary to secondary school, with 100% of recent students transitioning
28% increase in mean Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam score since our partnership began

WATER

100% of community members have access to clean water through implementation of a community water system, piping, and community access points
Improved access to sanitation facilities for learners at school
Conducted community and school water and sanitation trainings to promote safe water purification practices and clean water harvesting techniques
Trained and empowered a water management committee to ensure the sustainability of clean water projects in the community

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HEALTH

The 10 Habits of a Healthy Home program trains members of the community to implement basic health and sanitary indicators in their homesteads.

100% of 10 Habits of a Healthy Home program participants have implemented at least 80% of the indicators in their home, decreasing conditions for preventable diseases
Community members have improved access to quality healthcare through Baraka Hospital and mobile medical clinics
Conducted community trainings to encourage sustained safe health practices, which have realized a reduction in vaccine preventable diseases and maternal complications during pregnancy

FOOD

Access to large scale farm
Over 900 total agricultural trainings held over the course of partnership
Community members have access to a more diverse diet, improved food security for their families, and are equipped with modern farming skills and knowledge that will sustain them for years to come

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

Over 100 community members have participated in an Economic Empowerment group, with over 500 total economic empowerment trainings completed
All participants have developed financial literacy skills and have joined in group income generating activities, which have improved their household incomes

WE CHARITY'S FIVE PILLAR DEVELOPMENT MODEL

WE Charity’s five-pillar development model empowers communities to break the cycle of poverty over, on average, a period of five to seven years of construction and local skill-capacity building, with a goal of long-term sustainability. Projects are focused on education, clean water, health care, food security and economic empowerment.

This holistic model starts with education, usually building schools or school rooms (including classrooms, libraries, kitchens, teachers’ accommodations, and school offices), that are then supported by other infrastructure needs key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Building new schools or school rooms (or renovating existing structures where possible) are not the only inputs into the five-pillar development model. To date, WE Charity has built or renovated over 850 schools or school rooms in rural Kenya. Each school room is furnished with the necessary supplies, such as desks and chairs, libraries with books, and other essential items for teachers’ offices and accommodations. Funds are also allocated to critical program needs that ensure quality services are delivered. For example, teachers must be trained and housed, students need healthy meals, and health care facilities (training and supplies) are necessary to look after the health needs of both faculty and students. 

This model and needs extend to all the pillars, such as training for those maintaining water projects; education of community and family leaders on agriculture and healthy food; recruitment, training, and housing of medical staff; and the cost of economically empowering the women of the communities to ensure the development model is financially self-sustainable.

Primary school rooms and regional high school rooms may include the following: a classroom, a library, teachers’ accommodations, an administrative office, a science lab, a student dormitory or a school kitchen, which are all key elements of our education programs. All educational infrastructure is designed for the best learning of students.

WE Charity’s records and finances have been reviewed annually by independent auditors, and WE Charity has undergone a special review for its international activities from a respected forensic auditor, confirming that WE Charity operates with the highest financial integrity.

The following photos each document a unique school or school room used for educational purposes which was constructed or renovated by WE Charity. Most of the buildings are stand-alone, while some school rooms are adjoining, in multi-room structures (where indicated).

Renovations (where indicated) may often include structural and foundation repairs, walling and floor rebuilding or repairs, roof rebuilding or repairs and the provision of important educational infrastructure including desks, chairs, and blackboards to ensure a conducive environment for children to learn. Learn more about renovations to education facilities, here.