In 2011 KEP expanded to Kakamega, a smaller town about a hundred and fifty kilometres north of Kisii. It is next to Kakamega national park, which contains the last remaining rainforest in Kenya. Here, local inhabitants are mainly from the Luhya tribe.
KEP selects schools from the neighbouring villages in both regions to build a partnership with. Schools are selected on the basis of a number of criteria. KEP schools are usually improving schools, with a strong and enthusiastic staff body, that are currently under-performing. Each partner KEP school receives a base level of support: investment and PW presence for two consecutive years, this is followed by a review between KEP and the partner school. The review is used to determine the levels of development the school has reached within this period and whether further investment and support is required. Even when a school is deemed successful, its progress will be continued to be monitored closely and PWs may return if the need arises. Overall, KEP offers a comprehensive flexible approach that is tailored towards the specific needs of each individual school.
In return for this human and financial investment KEP expects a reciprocal commitment from the schools. Decisions and objectives are jointly developed between KEP and the school. This Partnership is formalised through a written document and PWs make decisions about resource investment and holistic programmes in consultation with the school’s management team – this interaction means that programmes implemented will be understood by the school’s management team and will more likely be continued in the future.
