Alumni of schools in Homa Bay County have been urged to participate actively in uplifting their former schools.
Homa Bay County Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association Chairman, Dickens Bula, noted that many learning institutions in the County have challenges in resource mobilization and requires support of their former students.
The Chairman said financial constraints affected school operations, including accommodation, meals, infrastructure and other learning resources.
Bula urged the alumni to assist the learning institutions by mobilizing resources in order to improve academic performance at the institutions. He said the support may also include motivational talks to the learners.
Speaking during the Homa Bay High School Alumni Re-union, Bula said majority of schools had alumni who were successful professionals in various fields and could contribute immensely to the improvement of former schools.
He commended the alumni of Homa Bay High School, who have embarked on the construction of a library and
resource centre at a cost of Sh. 600 million.
Bula also thanked the group for their active involvement in student mentorship, as well as building a modern gate and purchasing a school van.
During the ceremony, the alumni gave out a bursary of Sh. 500,000 to support education of bright needy pupils.
Homa Bay School Principal, Vincent Mayienga, also reiterated the need for former students to make it a routine to visit their former schools and talk to students.
‘Words of encouragement can make students to embrace a positive attitude towards life and improve their academic performance,’ he said.
There are 335 secondary schools in Homa Bay County and some of them have alumni associations, while others do not.
Mayienga said there was a proposal to have school boards made-up of alumni, adding that former students understand the challenges that the institutions faced.
He said the Alumni Association had supported the laying of cabro walkways in the school.
‘All the walkways have been paved with cabros courtesy
of the Alumni Association,’ Mayienga said.
He said the school has also been receiving books donated by the former students.
The Association Chairman, Fred Nyawade, said their mission is to leave a legacy at the Institution.
‘Homa Bay High School will be tremendously transformed after the completion of the library and resource centre. The school alumni is one of the most impactful in Kenya and beyond,’ Nyawade said.
He said the work of developing schools should not be left to government alone.
‘Let’s support schools by giving books and other learning materials. Let schools count on former students for support because what the government provides is never enough,’ he said.
Former Supreme Court Judge, Jackton Ojwang, was among former students who attended the meeting.
Source: Kenya News Agency
