K-School Visit Broadens Rotary Support
Reading and writing and ‘rithmatic are always taking place at Kishermoruak Primary School in Kenya, but when our group of eight volunteers visited the Maasai school this July, Renewal, Recognition and Radio were the main themes of our activity, coupled with some entirely new services for the 300 pupils Ridgewood Rotary has been assisting since 2008.
When a freak wind and rain storm devastated four classrooms in early April, ripping off the roof and adding water damage to the structural chaos, quick reaction and response were called for. After our first-ever formal fund-raising campaign was met with great success, the roof was replaced, new windows were installed, new concrete floor were poured and when our group arrived in mid-July formal dedication services of the bloc were held.
The brief formalities allow us to recognize several benefactors of the school, by dedicating individual classrooms to them. The late, Ross Mamola, a long-time member of Ridgewood Rotary, was memorialized for his contribution of architectural designs of several of the new buildings erected at K-School over the past five years; past Rotary District Governor Bonnie Sirower of Glen Rock was similarly honored, as was long-time Wyckoff supporter Melanie Long.
The fourth classroom was dedicated to the Ridgewood A.M. Rotary Club, reflecting its members ongoing support of the Kenya School Project.
Another highlight of the visit was our presentation of a multi-band radio to the school, an important component in the “distance learning” series of programs transmitted from the national capital, Nairobi, and covering a variety of primary school subjects such as history, geography, civics and agriculture. The radio, a gift of the London-based Freeplay Foundation, is powered by crank or solar panel and allows the school to record lectures for future replay. Three years ago an earlier version of the radio was given the school and is still being used to supplement classroom instruction.
Two of our volunteers this year were physicians, the mother-daughter team of Linda and Cassie Peitzman from Minnesota. In addition to completing examinations for ring-worm and eye infections on each student, the women created a permanent medical profile for each child, assuring that a continuous record of physical problems will guide future care-givers.