Derby County Community Trust (DCCT) returned to Kenya in May for their 11th trip, to continue the development work at five of our partner schools and reunite with old friends.
During their 15-night and 8-night stays in Nakuru, DCCT’s 70 volunteers got involved with renovating the school sites, teaching, and sports coaching. In their free time, they enjoyed a trip to Lake Nakuru National Park to embark on a safari to spot the Big Five.
In this blog, we celebrate the hard work of the volunteers from Derby County Community Trust by looking at just some of their achievements – a fantastic example of the profound contribution that a single group of volunteers can continue to make year after year in Kenya and back at home in their local area, Derbyshire.
West End Destiny Academy
Construction of a two-storey classroom has been taking place at West End. Last year, DCCT volunteers helped to build the concrete shuttering for the second floor of the classroom and the staircase. This year, they completed the work on the second floor by plastering and painting the walls and building new shelving to hold books and stationery. Valentine, the Headteacher, opened the new classroom in a ceremony attended by the students and volunteers.
The students had the opportunity to put their computing knowledge into practice in a hands-on IT lesson with laptops that were kindly donated. Many of our partner schools lack basic facilities and resources, meaning students typically learn computing skills by drawing a keyboard on the blackboard.
Luke, a volunteer who has been travelling with DCCT for nine years, was greeted by a surprise during his time at West End. “A young man named James approached me, his face lighting up with recognition. I first met James during my trip in 2014, when he was 10. Today, at 20 years old, he stands tall, working diligently in the events business. Seeing James over the years was a powerful reminder of the impact that support and opportunities can have on young lives.”
St Trizah
DCCT volunteers picked up the baton from our previous group and continued with the construction of the new toilet block at St Trizah by plastering and painting the walls. The new toilet block will help improve hygiene standards at St Trizah and positively impact student attendance and attainment.
With security at the school a concern, volunteers supported with this by replacing a fallen gate and building a perimeter wall around the site.
They also left their mark in the classroom, painting a mural on one of the walls, donating new books and teaching materials, and sanding and varnishing wood ready to be made into new tables and chairs.
Alongside renovating the classrooms, volunteers taught a range of lessons, including a menstrual health workshop for female students.
Ungana Academy
This trip marked DCCT’s tenth time volunteering at Ungana Academy, and as always, Katherine, Marion and the pupils were excited to welcome them back.
As part of the teaching volunteer role, a volunteer organised a music project with the students, where he recorded their vocals to feature on a track with Insight Community Project and Unit03 Music youth groups in the UK.
The building and renovation volunteers helped renovate an existing classroom by breaking up the worn concrete and replacing it with a new levelled floor, creating a safer learning environment. They also gave the playground, which they had built the previous year, a new coat of paint.
Students enjoyed a sports day organised by the volunteers, which included a sack race and a game of football.
Cherish School
“The school project director for Cherish said it best in his welcome speech to us … Giving the deprived children a platform of education provides them with a fishing rod for life”. Volunteer.
After a traditional welcome from the Cherish Acrobat team during the welcome ceremony, the building and renovation volunteers got to work fixing the perimeter wall, which had been damaged during a flood. Once fixed, the group moved on to building buffer walls in front of the perimeter wall to help protect it from future flooding.
DCCT volunteers dug the footing for a dining hall last year and continued the project this year by mixing cement for the foundations.
The teaching volunteers delivered a range of lessons, including teaching the students how to cross-stitch.
The group also kindly donated each of the teachers a drawer full of stationary, and each child received a donation bag which included new school uniform.
Jubilee Academy
This year, returning volunteers saw lots of progress since their last visit! Last May, DCCT volunteers dug the footings for three new permanent classrooms, and this year, they were plastering the inside and outside walls of the classroom.
Alongside teaching and sports coaching, the group also helped to paint classrooms and dug foundations for a new school gate.
The Harrison Hub
As well as the impact made in Kenya, DCCT has raised funds through the programme to support the work they carry out in their local community. Some of the money raised has gone towards supporting the work of their ‘community corner’, Harrison’s Hub.
“Our Rams in Kenya ’24 was our 11th trip to Kenya with African Adventures, and it was right up there with the very best in terms of impact, commitment and enthusiasm from our 79 volunteers. We are very fortunate that our trips attract an extremely strong numbers in terms of volunteers, and with that comes a great deal of planning and preparation both before departure and whilst in-country. The trip simply wouldn’t be possible without African Adventures’ support, coordination and diligence from both their UK and Kenyan staff teamed with the drive of our incredible group of volunteers; we are able to make a substantial impact in both our schools and the surrounding communities in Kenya. Putting such a trip into words is impossible, but the alignment of AA and DCCT and the resultant Rams in Kenya trips is one of the proudest achievements of my professional and personal lives, and our 2024 trip built on and cemented the wonderful legacy of our previous 10 trips.” Paul Newman, Group Leader.
Through their 11 trips, Derby County Community Trust has built long-term relationships with our partner schools, profoundly impacting hundreds of children’s lives.
Join DCCT for their Rams in Kenya 2025 trip.
