Cowdenbeath Rotary Club's £7,200 donation transforms school

The multi-facility centre in Eldoret, a city in the west of the African country, provides 100 children, aged between five and 15, with the opportunity to develop essential skills for their future careers.

The operators of the facility have expressed their gratitude to the rotary club for their support.

The new training centre building (Image: Cowdenbeath Rotary Club)

Club president Hank John emphasised their gratitude to the Rotary Foundation for a District 1010 Grant of £3,600, and the club's efforts in raising a further £3,600 to meet the £7,200 required for the project.

He said: "I know that in UK terms £7,200 may not sound like a vast sum, but in Kenya it is a huge figure which allowed this fine project go ahead and while it has taken time to complete and get it open, to see the reaction of the pupils was heart-warming.

"We are grateful to the Rotary Foundation, Kelty Evangelical Church, the Rotary Club of Cupar, Lumphinanns singer Carly Schiavone, along with Jimmy Jack, and many friends of the club, for their help in the fundraising which made this possible."

He shared photographs of the centre in action and messages of thanks from the school community.

The Shalom School, located in a deprived area of Eldoret, was struggling with various issues, which were brought to the attention of the Cowdenbeath Rotary Club by Mr John.

At the time, the school had a small, 'depleted' kitchen where catering chief, Rose, prepared daily lunches using firewood.

For many of the children, this was their only meal of the day.

Now, the school boasts a modern kitchen with gas and electric cooking facilities, a staff room, a classroom, a sewing room and a carpentry workshop.

The new well-equipped kitchen area (Image: Cowdenbeath Rotary Club) These facilities benefit not only the pupils but the entire local community.

A plaque on one of the walls of the new facility acknowledges the role the club played.

It reads: "Shalom Training Centre - funded by the Rotary Club of Cowdenbeath, Scotland.

"To the glory of God."

The project was made possible by the "enthusiasm of the members of the Rotary Club of Cowdenbeath", who identified the need for a proper functioning kitchen at the school, and other training facilities, "to enhance life skills of the school leavers and community".

The construction work began in July 2022 and was completed in the middle of this year, and the centre is now fully operational.