RDN – Rusinga Development Network is our partner for the major project run by genialsozial, funded by the Saxon Youth Foundation. RDN coordinates the projects at the two schools on Rusinga Island.
Following significant investment, implementation is now proceeding step by step. RDN reports on the current status after the second year.
NYAMUGA Special School
“At Nyamuga Special School, we coordinate an IT programme that gives students, teachers and the community access to the internet and other computer services such as copying, scanning and printing. We also maintain a school garden where students and a few assigned supervisors grow vegetables for their own use. Our goal for next year is to increase production and sell the vegetables so that the programme can become self-sustaining.”
Here, our goal is for the school to start generating its own small income through various measures.
WAKIAGA Vocational Training Centre
RDN coordinates four main projects at the WAKIAGA Vocational Training Centre: a tool library, an IT programme, a school garden and the provision of clean drinking water.
The school had been struggling with management issues that were significantly impacting its operations. To resolve the problem, RDN held several community meetings and also met with the district administration and other relevant stakeholders. In October 2025, RDN held its last important meeting with the Director of Education, the Minister of Education and the Head of Vocational Training Centres in Homabey. It was decided to appoint a new headmaster for the school. On 5 November 2025, the new headmaster was appointed and has since been working to optimise school management and operations.
It has been a long and hard battle that our partner has fought throughout the year. We can now finally assume that 2026 will be a year of change. Thank you to Ramanus and the entire RDN team for their strength and perseverance.
Here is her report:
“Our tool library contains tools for five craft training courses, which can be borrowed by both students and the community. The borrowing fee for the community is used to further develop the school and is intended to make the library financially independent. All tools were in good condition when the school went on its long December break.
The students who took the national NITA examinations, mainly in hairdressing, bricklaying, automotive mechanics and electrical engineering, used the tools from the library for their practical exams. The tool library was temporarily closed due to management issues, so we closed it until order was restored. We hope that the library will operate more efficiently in 2026 under new management.
The IT programme was inactive for five months in 2025 because the Kenyan energy company had cut off the school’s power supply. By November, we were able to use solar energy as an alternative energy source and are also working with Migori. The lottery association will support computer courses at the school during the Christmas holidays. These will take place from 15 December to 12 February 2026.
Solar energy can easily power the computers, so we hope that the department will be running smoothly from next year (2026). A major advantage is that the new head can provide basic computer training.
We are also coordinating a drinking water project at the school. The programme worked well for a while, but the water pipes from the lake were interrupted during road construction work. We have arranged for the connection to be restored so that the community and the school can continue to benefit from it. The entire water treatment plant is in perfect condition.“