Rift Valley Adventist Secondary School

On Friday, October 7th, Andrew traveled with a group of students and staff from the Egerton University Gender Institute to visit the Rift Valley Adventist Secondary School, which reopened last year as a boarding school for girls and boys. The school had closed after the post-election violence of 2008, for it had been caught in the struggles, resulting in one student killed and a main building burned down. Now, though, with a new principal and head teacher--and 109 students at present--the school is rebuilding and looking to a solid academic future. It's in a beautiful, rural location high up in the countryside, giving students and visitors a splendid view of the Rift Valley.

 University students from the Gender Institute brought supplies and gave well-informed, inspirational speeches on topics ranging from study habits to avoiding drugs, alcohol, and sexually transmitted diseases. Andrew chipped in with his own brief speech on the obligation to develop the mind, and the other staff members urged the high-schoolers to perform well on their exams and come to Egerton and other universities to pursue higher education.

The students and head teacher, in turn, gave us a tour of the campus, performed an amusing drama for us, and then fed us a delicious supper. Plans are in the works to bring the students to Egerton next week to get a taste of the university.


--Andrew with Egerton University students


--Beautiful views of the fertile landscape all
around the campus


--A reminder of the post-election violence


--Andrew giving his talk


--Fred presenting gifts from the Gender Institute


--Andrew with students from the drama club