We believe that in order for people to enjoy
safe, productive lives they must possess a sovereign ability to care for
themselves and to have the educational tools that will assure them a respected
place in today's global society. In our projects we encourage the use of
ecologically sustainable approaches to preserve the environment.
Agricultural Initiatives –
§ Gardens were developed in spring
of 2009; they provide kale and tomatoes among other vegetables to enhance the
children’s diet.
§ Dairy
Unit –
two cows were purchased in July, 2010, and two more were acquired in 2011. One
of these bore a calf in 2011, to be sold at market.
§ Greenhouse was built in November 2010
and provides vegetables year-round.
§ Tilapia
Pond
was excavated and filled during the summer of 2011. Tilapia fingerlings were
introduced that October. The tilapia matured sufficiently for a first harvest
in June 2012, providing low-fat, high-protein fish to be eaten at the school. A
second tilapia pond was completed and stocked in April 2012.
§ Poultry
Unit –
the poultry unit was prepared in the spring of 2012, and soon after acquired
laying hens to generate eggs for consumption at the school.
§ Pig
Sty – completed
early in 2013, piglets will grow quickly and (relatively) inexpensively, to be
sold locally.
§ Catfish
Box-ponds -
completed and stocked early in 2013, will provide another source or rich
nutrition.
§ Rabbit
Hutch -
completed in March 2013; rabbits grow quickly and will provide another source
of protien.
Tuition
By the second year of operation, the Nambale
Magnet School was attracting the children of families in the area able to pay school
fees.
This not only provides income helps to support the overall operation of the
school – it also ensures the social and economic mix that makes the “magnet”
concept so innovative in Kenya, and aligns the school’s mission with Kenyan
government policy dictating that vulnerable or indigent children not be
isolated from mainstream Kenyan culture.
The School has been licensed to present Early
Childhood Development Education seminars and training to area educators. These
will take place during school holidays, the first in April, 2013, and will be a
source of additional revenue for the school.
The school hopes to add Adult
Education
classes in subjects such as agricultural science and animal husbandry. Computer
science classes will be offered if the school is able to acquire desktop
computers for use there. This will generate income and deepen the investment of
the community in the success of the school.
Long-Term: The Visitor and
Conference Center
From the beginning the Kenyan board
envisioned a conference center near the school – perhaps sharing land with an
eventual high school. This would offer several benefits:
§ Provide safe
and affordable accommodations for travelers in the area, something greatly
lacking in Western Kenya.
§ Attract national
– and perhaps international – conferences which would build up the
local economy and expose students and faculty to a wider world of ideas and
knowledge.
§ Generate employment
and apprenticeship opportunities for older students at the school, giving
them training in various features of the hospitality industry.
Environmental
Sustainability
As the school was being built, the board and
architects have been mindful of sustainability in a different sense – using natural
resources as much as possible and keeping the carbon footprint to a minimum.
This will continue to be a priority as the school expands. Some of the
initiatives include:
§ Most notably, the water
catchment system, which captures rainwater and funnels it into cisterns.
§ Solar
LED security lights have been installed in the exterior of the school.
There are plans to
construct a biodigester to provide for responsible on-site sewage disposal,
and produce methane by-products for resalePlease Visit us at http://www.nambalemagnet.org
Follow us on Twitter @NambaleMagnet
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/#!/nambalemagnet
