Life in Kikinduku

Life in Kikunduku

by Matthew Provoost

Shiplake College started its relationship with the primary school in Kikunduku back in the mid-1990s. Over the last twenty years, Shiplake College has done a marathon length walk/run around the whole school several times to raise money for Gap Africa. A little over £4,000 has been raised to support the children who go to school in Kikunduku. As of today Kikunduku Primary School has 329 pupils.

Kenya is a developing country with a population of 47,564,296 (2021). Kenya’s GDP is $100 billion and its GDP per person is $1,817. Over 2015-2019 Kenya's economic growth averaged 5.7% per year which made it one of the fastest growing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic has negatively hit Kenya's economic development resulting in a massive decrease in GDP and economic growth. The average life expectancy in Kenya for males is 66 years and females is 69 years.

On the 10th of November I had the privilege of meeting with the Rev to talk about Kikunduku. We spoke about the way that the relationship with Shiplake College and Kikunduku came to be. It all started in the mid-90s when a group of pupils from Shiplake’s expedition society visited Kenya and they came across a school in the village called Kikunduku. The college then decided to work with Gap Africa in order to raise money on a regular basis for the school.

To this day each house at Shiplake College takes on the responsibility for raising £420 per year to cover the education fees of one child. Many fundraisers are also run to help raise money for building projects at Kikunduku Primary School such as new classrooms and well holes to supply the school with water.