Adventure Packed Mombasa Educational Trip for GIC IV Winners
A visit to KenGen PLC Kipevu Power Station on the second day of their excursion was an eye opener for the thirty Ielanthi Primary School students on 5th June. The pupils were awarded an educational trip courtesy of the Schools Green Inititative Challenge for emerging tops in Phase IV of the tree planting competition.
A tour of the power station was complemented by a walking lecture of how electricity is produced at Kipevu and KenGen’s position as one of the top global sustainable power production companies. The day before, the students, together with their ‘green’ teachers, travelled for the first time on the SGR as part of the award, having arrived in the city from Machakos by bus.
In the afternoon, the students visited Haller Park, Bamburi Cement Ltd.’s rehabilitated quarry, and now a successful model of sustainable environmental management. Learning more about the various plant and animal species, the students also had a chance to explore the Butterfly House and marvel at the savagery of the resident crocodiles during a feeding session!!
Ielanthi Primary School managed to beat 99 other schools from the semi-arid counties of Embu, Machakos, and Kitui in a two-year tree planting competition at their 0.5 acre plots for survival rates. Participating schools were given 300 seedlings to compete with their counter parts in nurturing them using different approaches and innovations.
The GIC, funded by Kengen Foundation, KenGen, Bamburi Cement, and Better Globe Forestry is a 10-year project aimed at greening 500 acres in the semi-arid counties of Machakos, Kitui, and Embu while inculcating a culture of tree planting within communities.
The next day, the students visited Fort Jesus, Mombasa’s iconic landmark, and were fascinated by the rich history of the ancient Arab – Portuguese war. They attentively listened (and sometimes scribbled in their notebooks) to the local tour guide, who took his time explaining the intriguing historical journey within the massive and crumbling walls
They spent the morning taking in the breathtaking scenery of the Indian Ocean with the cool breeze found only on the recently refurbished Mama Ngina Drive.
Capping off two days of wonder and fascination, the students gleefully jumped into the swimming pool on their last afternoon at the coast. The screams and shrieks from their excitement signified the ultimate pay off in their efforts to contribute in greening the country, an experience forever to be etched in their minds.
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Emmanuel Kipkorir,
Communication Attachee
@tweets
