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On Saturday 16th of November 2024, we represented Andgate Foundation at The Godfrey Ongowo Foundation during their mini funds drive and annual Scholars Day at his rural home in Gem, Nyagondo in Siaya County.


Eng. Godfrey Ongowo Otieno is a long-time friend of Eng. Jared Ajwang'a and a strategic partner of our Foundation since its inception because of our shared vision of giving opportunities to bright but socio-economically disadvantaged students to access secondary education and most often beyond. So when he mentioned this to us sometime in July and sent an invitation, we felt honored and obliged to support him on this occasion. The Chairman had to cancel other competing appointments and make a trip to Siaya at the invitation of a friend and a fellow 'Havard' Alumnus. I have come to like the way they have insisted on calling their alma mater 'Havard'; perhaps this was the motivating factor that led the boys to focus on their studies and keep aiming for higher goals. Look how they are leaving footprints of kindness and changing lives everywhere they go...!


Bishop Emeritus the Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Otieno Wasonga graced the occasion and we were delighted to share his space. The Bishop who is the Patron of the Foundation, has been a guiding light in our lives since childhood and this reconnection was uplifting. Indeed, this re-union evoked beautiful memories of our youthful Christian journey in which He played a critical role and for that, we remain grateful. Jared has more to say on this; a hilarious story of how one senior girl in our primary school intimidated him so badly during his confirmation preparations that he 'deferred' studies of becoming an Anglican communicant and years later ended up in the hands of Bishop Wasonga while at 'Havard'. Hehee si pole bas...


The Scholars' Day brought together Family and Friends, the Clergy (who accompanied the Bishop), Parents, Guardians, and the community. The young scholars interacted with professionals from diverse fields of expertise including Engineers, Lawyers, Teachers, Doctors as well Public Administrators and Governance Experts. Outstanding performers were feted and they were all encouraged and inspired to work smart towards achieving their academic aspirations.



The students were treated to real-life experiences by older scholars who had waded the waters and emerged successful. This gave them a first-hand insight into the challenges that abound in society and yet these are surmountable; only if they remain focused and determined. All these were courtesy of Scholar No. 80 of Ongowo Foundation who was recently admitted to the Bar to practice as an Advocate. We belatedly celebrated this great milestone with her and as Andgate Foundation we say 'Hongera Sana'.


As a forerunner for the Chairman, I pointed out to the students that discipline was a key ingredient for success in their academic aspirations. Our Chairman, Eng. Ajwang'a gave a witty, educative, and inspiring speech; emphasizing to the students the need to participate in co-curricular activities and utilize their talents that may otherwise be eroded when they bury their heads in books at the expense of their holistic growth and development.

The whole idea was to strike a balance between academics and talents and to pursue only those courses they felt confident and passionate about. He advised that running a Foundation had its fair share of challenges and relevant stakeholders needed to pool resources together to support such causes noting that sustainability was very difficult and yet the gaps in access to post-primary education were glaring.


We later spent the evening with Nya-Kisumo bursting our lungs out with laughter because she has the gift of gab laced with humor and wisdom. We chatted the evening away at her inquisitive feet (typical of African Mothers) as she gave us words of encouragement and blessings. Nya-Kisumo is the loving and caring Mother we have on the other side of the River and isn't she just adorable?


On our way home and for the umpteenth time, we declared that River Yala is not navigable on the Gem - Aluor road; too many swerves on the road, lol!


We wish Eng. Ongowo and his team the very best and want to sincerely thank him for the fruitful session; we are pleased to have participated and are proud to be associated!


Looking forward to more opportunities to transform lives through education, one child at a time...



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Andgate Foundation set out in January 2024 to engage and support learners who were actively participating in our Adopt a Tree Initiative. The three-day intensive interaction with pupils, teachers and their guardians was filled with jubilation and excitement from the learners who were on their feet every time they spotted the Founder (Eng. Jared Ajwang'a) since word had spread that he had niceties for green champions.


The Foundation engaged and supported pupils to plant trees within their various Schools and at home in early 2022. This clarion call bore fruits and at the beginning of 2023, we were moving around to monitor their progress and engage them in discussions on their experience. The main objective was to encourage the pupils to actively take up their space in the restoration of the environment and its protection thereof since this was their future and inheritance. We were impressed when Mwalimu Khana reported that several pupils embraced the challenge and participated in the tree-planting marathon and this marked the first of the many journeys that the Foundation was poised to take; traversing the terrains of Asembo to recognize outstanding young green champions under the Adopt a Tree (Miti Mashinani) Program.


The three-day trip was meticulously organized by the Andgate Team to coincide with the re-opening of Schools in the first term of 2023; this would ensure that the pupils and their Teachers were available at School for the consultative talks. Every day was an exciting affair; a quick rush through the Program to see which Schools were on schedule while sipping the African black tea with samosas from Mama Betty. We have officially ranked Mama Betty's samosa as the best on this side of the country because they are to die for.


One of our green champions receiving a scholarship

Twenty-three (23) Primary Schools participated in the exercise out of which we identified Twenty-Seven Green Champions. The Schools tha were: Wang'arot, Ujwang'a, Tiga, Siger, Rambugu, Rambira, Ndwara, Gangu, Omboye, Kawamang'aria, Nyaroko, Manera, Mahaya, Kawino, Rakowe, Sangla, Rarieda, Obaga, Nyamboyo, Kiswaro, Kametho and Akom Primary School.


The Foundation decided to accord special recognition to outstanding participants and to incentivize the pupils, we gave Mathematical Sets, Pens, and in some instances one-off Scholarships equivalent to a term's fee since they were finalists who were set to join Form One. Our intimate conversations with some of the green champions brought to light their dire situation and the urgent need for support to enable them to pursue secondary education. Most of the participants hailed from social and economically disadvantaged backgrounds having been supported by their School administrators and well-wishers through their primary education.

A green champion receiving a partial scholarship

Some had also been orphaned at an early age and were being catered for by their Guardians and relatives.


This is, therefore, a special shout-out to Adopt a Tree 'Green' Champions of 2023 namely: David Ochieng, Akinyi Elizabeth, John Ogola Omondi, Odhiambo Elvis Ochieng, Cyrus Noah, Akoth Alice Atieno, Shadrack Owino, Cynthia Auma Odoyo, Godfrey Odiwuor, Cynthia Nekesa, Nixon Adiwuor, Oliech Elon Asere, Lydia Atieno, Odiwuor Lameck, Brandon Yieko, Akoth Veronica, Odero Briton, Joseph Omondi Dume, Amon Otieno, Morgan Waradi, Onyango Joseph, Timothy Ochieng, Charles Onyango and Caleb Hawi. We also want to sincerely appreciate their Teachers and Guardians for the mentorship and guidance they gave these young ones during the process.




Some enthusiastic green champions showing the Chairman the trees they planted.

The Adopt a Tree Program is the brainchild of Eng. Ajwang'a aimed at equipping learners at the primary school level with the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development by integrating contemporary issues such as environmental management into their day-to-day activities within their community. The three-year-old Program which we launched in 2021 seeks to inculcate lifelong skills and nurture a responsible attitude in the pupils at an early stage. The initiative is anchored on the belief that the involvement of youth in the promotion and sustainable environmental management is an early intervention that will not only inculcate a community service culture among the pupils but will also provide an opportunity for the young populace to participate in building community resilience to climate change but also promote the achievement of food security and improved nutrition at the community level.


Every participant was required to plant and nurture at least 12 seedlings per year to maturity. Our green champions planted 976 trees and we will be reviewing their progress in the second year. The initiative is on course and the Foundation will endeavor to support every initiative geared towards the protection and conversation of the environment.




More green champions being feted by the Chairman









Andgate Foundation's Adopt a Tree-Miti Mashinani initiative is a Community Outreach program on environmental protection that targets partnership with willing players on mitigating climate change effects.Working closely with selected Schools, the Foundation commenced assessment exercises in December 2021. This included review of existing capacities of the Schools, identification and registration of participants (with the involvement of Parents/Guardians).


Based on the preceding steps, Twenty three (23) primary schools took up the initiative and some of them reported positive results within the first 2 months of implementation i.e from November 2021 to January 2022.


We visited Rarieda Primary School in January 2022; one of the primary schools selected within Mahaya zone and we were very impressed with the results. Rarieda Primary School is located in Nyanza province, Bondo Sub-County of Siaya County within South Asembo location of Rarieda Constituency. The geographical location map coordinates for this school is -0.19526 (Latitude), 34.33977 (Longitude). It is an ordinary mixed (boys and girls) day only government owned,church sponsored primary school.


The School is poised to be a pacesetter if their spirit is anything to go by. The School administration had demonstrated commitment by establishing a Tree Nursery to support the School in production of more seedlings, manage losses during transplanting and further support other neighboring schools and the local community as a sustainable source of seedlings.


Some of the strategies implemented by the School to achieve good results included:


1. Leveraging on the existing and active 4K' Club whose members were ready and willing to participate in the initiative.


4K' stands for (Kuungana, Kufanya, Kusaidia Kenya) which loosely translates to ‘Coming together, to Act, in order to Save Kenya.’ During the early 1980’ and 1990’s, the Kenyan Education system was founded on a curriculum that sought to encourage the adoption of Agriculture and tree planting by pupils in all primary schools in order to stimulate their interest in agriculture at an early age and contribute to the improvement of the national tree cover in Kenya . The idea weakened overtime, but in the recent past (2019) the Government approved the revival of the 4K clubs to support the realization of the Big Four Agenda under the Government's economic blue print of Vision 2030. This was aimed at supporting achievement of food and nutrition security through Agriculture and to also help mitigate on climate change effects in the country with specific involvement of minority groups at the grassroots.


2. The Head Teacher Mwalimu Vitalis Onyando had amassed several years of experience in tree husbandry; having initiated and successfully undertaken environmental conservation projects in different schools within the zone before his transfer to Rarieda primary School. Mwalimu is also very knowledgeable on varieties of tree species which forms a rich mix for the Nursery, i.e exotic and indigenous;


3. The school embraced team work and involved all relevant actors in the initiative including working closely with the 4k Club members to provide the much needed guidance and support to the pupils at each stage of implementation.


With great determination, the pupils planted Three Hundred (300) Siala ‘Markhamia lutea’ Tree seedlings which had germinated and were potted awaiting transplanting.They also established a Nursery bed for (othoo) Soap berry tree, Yago ‘Kigelia Africana,’ and Eucalyptus whose seeds were already germinating.


All was not however rosy, despite the very positive outcomes at inception. The Pupils had encountered several challenges while setting up the Nursery and planting trees. One major challenge was the prolonged dry season which had lasted from November 2021 to January 2022; this meant that the pupils had to fetch water from the nearby Lake Victoria for watering the seedlings.Lake Victoria is the world's second largest fresh water lake that majestically lies on the Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania border. They also reported seed dormancy as a result of the drought and inadequate potting bags for the seedlings. They also lacked water storage facilities (watering cans and drums) and were therefore forced to make several trips to the Lake on a daily basis to fetch water for the seedlings. This was not only laborious; but it also consumed their study time making some of them fall behind in their classwork.


The Foundation was compelled to chip in;despite its meager resources and support the pupils in order to sustain the tempo and encourage the pupils to keep up with the good work already started.

1. Left: Some of the seedlings at the Nursery awaiting transplanting.


2. Below Right: Pupils carry the donated jerricans supervised by Mwalimu Victor Ochieng'




Having understood their plight, we donated thirty (30) pieces of 10 Litre Jerricans to be used to ferry water from the nearby Lake Victoria during the dry season. Additionally, we purchased a 320 Litre Barrel for water storage, to reduce the frequency of the pupils going to fetch water from the Lake at the expense of their studies and for water storage during the rainy season so that they do not have to go to the Lake at all. We also donated two (2) Watering cans to them.


The elated pupils led by their Teacher promised to uphold their environmental conservation efforts.We have continued to monitor progress and in the process visited many other schools and sites in order to give support, identify any glaring gaps and propose intervention measures in order to breathe life into the Miti-Mashinani initiative. We look forward to collaborating with the County government, national government and other players in order to secure the much needed resources and support for the success of this initiative.




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