TURKANA WEST — Residents of Nationokar in Lopur Ward, Turkana West, have welcomed a new Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centre following the completion and handover of a two-classroom facility by Plan International Kenya.
The facility, handed over to the County Government of Turkana, comprises two ECDE classrooms and offices, alongside a sanitation block featuring separate two-door toilets for boys and girls and a dedicated hand-washing point.
The project was funded by Danmark Indsamling through the three-year Nurturing Futures Project, running from April 2024 to March 2027.
Turkana Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus officially received the facility on behalf of the County Government from Plan International Kenya Country Director George Otim. The ceremony was attended by officials from consortium partners Swisscontact, Water Mission, and APAD.
The new facility will ease major logistics challenges for local families, whose young children previously had to travel long distances to access early childhood education.
Local parent Sam Eipa noted that families were previously forced to send their children to learning centres inside the nearby refugee camp, incurring extra transport costs and wasting valuable time. Another parent, Samuel Ebei, highlighted that these long walk times raised major safety concerns for young children, forcing some to drop out entirely.
School head Edward Lobuin explained that the new ECDE section transforms the institution into a comprehensive school, now covering early childhood, lower primary, upper primary, and junior secondary levels.
“Transition rates will most likely improve since the facility provides education for all levels before proceeding to senior secondary,” Lobuin said.
Dr. Erus commended Plan International and its partners, emphasizing that the project’s completion demonstrates the value of collaborating with local civil society organizations and utilizing locally adaptable technologies. He urged residents to make full use of the facility by ensuring all eligible children in the community are enrolled.
The Deputy Governor added that the County Government will continue partnering with development organizations to achieve the targets set under the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan (KISEDP) and the Shirika Plan.
Plan International Kenya Country Director George Otim described the facility as a deliberate investment designed to improve the well-being, nutrition, protection, and holistic development of crisis-affected children aged 0–8 years across Kakuma refugee camp, Kalobeyei settlement, and Lopur Ward.
However, Otim emphasized that the area’s rapidly growing population will require further investment in local education infrastructure. He called on partners to consider a follow-up programme to expand the facility’s capacity to better serve both host and refugee communities.
“What we, Plan International and co-implementing partners, have done is a drop in the ocean,” Otim said, noting that the new classrooms can accommodate approximately 100 learners at a time. He added that the densely populated region faces a continuous rise in demand for school infrastructure due to the growing refugee and host populations.
Prior to the formal handover, Plan International showcased its broader community initiatives, including health outreach services and the Parenting Under Pressure programme, which delivers life-saving interventions and parental capacity-building focused on child protection.
Beyond physical classrooms, Plan International is actively implementing complementary programmes that connect local schools directly to boreholes, improving clean water access and raising sanitation standards.
