Joy for over 1,000 learners as they benefit from uniform distribution exercise

By Peter Ochieng

Over 1, 600 Primary and Junior Secondary School (JSS) learners in Kisumu West, Kisumu County constituency will report back to school in January, in brand new uniforms.

The learners from over 20 schools received the donation during a function held at Bar Anding’o Primary School over the weekend, courtesy of the Umoja Foundation.

Leonard Otiende, the Foundation’s Director said they donate uniforms to children from needy backgrounds such as orphans once a year, in a bid to push them towards achieving their dreams in the future.

“A child without the proper school uniform is always uneasy,” Otiende told journalists on the sidelines of the event.

The organisation, he added, runs various other programs including the school feeding and a psychosocial support program, aimed at creating a caring and supportive environment where children feel valued and heard.

They are backed up by a scholarship program that sponsors education of selected students from secondary school, through to college or university.

“We do girls and boys mentorship and guardian mentorships. The mentorship program also provides our girls with sanitary towels, and each year we give 16, 000 sanitary towels to our needy girls. For the boys, we give atleast 1,200 boys vests and undergarments,” said Otiende.

He said the number of learners who need support to further their education is overwhelming, urging more well-wishers to come on board.

“I want to thank our friends in Indiana – they are called the Umoja partnership, the team that does the donations that help us change our community. I want to call upon our local community or any other well-wisher who is thinking of where to donate or where to create an impact to come to Umoja, where we say what we do, and do what we say.”

Some of the parents and guardians present, led by Mrgret Akinyi and Benard Ochieng appreciated the kind gesture.