TEACHERS from Droitwich Spa High School have visited Kenya to see the success of the school’s participation in the British Council’s ‘Connecting Classrooms’ project.

Elizabeth Whitehouse and Kim Higham from the school both travelled over to Ngobit School in north west Kenya to see how Droitwich High’s link has improved educational prospects for young people in the country.

Droitwich High has been supporting Ngobit with bursaries and funding since 2007, usually managing to sponsor about five students through the school each year.

As part of their visit, the two member of staff met up with one particular beneficiary of the fundraising, Agnes Wambui Githumbi, who had real difficulties overcoming the cultural barrier of many traditional Kenyans not feeling it is worth educating girls.

Mrs Whitehouse and Miss Higham heard how Agnes had defied her abusive and alcoholic father who all but forbade her from getting an education, starting her day at 4.30am every day to walk to school, often avoiding elephants in the darkness on the way.

A bursary from Droitwich High meant that she was able to live and study at her school in Ngobit, where she is now in the final stages of training to be a teacher herself, specialising in Swahili and religious and moral education.

Mrs Whitehouse said: “It was very moving to see Agnes has achieved so much. After the poor start in life she was given, she is now the proud mother of three children and will soon be a fully qualified teacher and able to give back to the institution that gave her the education that so many Kenyans crave.”

Miss Higham added: “Agnes was very open about the impact that Droitwich has had on her life. She is sure that the bursary we provided had a profound impact on the path of her life. She is very grateful but really she is to be congratulated for the hard work and effort she has put in to get where she is today.”

Two of Agnes’ own children are now enrolled in the primary school at Ngobit.

as a teacher with Miss Kim Higham from Droitwich Spa High School on her recent visit to Kenya.