This Valentine’s Day, love and generosity intersected to bring joy and opportunity to the students of St. Lucy’s High for the Visually Impaired in Meru County. For nearly a decade, blind and low-vision students at the school faced the daunting challenge of crossing a bustling public road to access the primary section where the computer laboratory was situated. However, yesterday marked the end of this perilous journey as inABLE unveiled a fully furnished computer laboratory, a Valentine’s Day gift that will forever change the educational landscape for these students. 

The construction of the laboratory, a project that has been in the works for the past month, was made possible through the generous contribution of Microsoft, whose support has brought immense joy and opportunity to the school community. The newly equipped lab boasts 30 desktop computers and internet connectivity, empowering both students and teachers with the tools necessary to delve into basic computer skills, conduct research, and access a wealth of online learning materials, including the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development’s education cloud: https://kec.ac.ke/. 

Perez Mukami, the school’s head student, expressed heartfelt gratitude to inABLE for their thoughtful gesture, emphasizing the commitment of the student body to utilize the lab to its fullest potential and achieve academic excellence. The sentiment was echoed by Sister Rebecca Jackline Akinyi, the school’s principal, who was moved to tears of joy as she witnessed the transformative impact of the new facility. With her dedicated team of educators, Sister Rebecca has begun organizing schedules to ensure that every student has ample time to benefit from the lab’s resources. 

As the designated instructor, the arrival of the computer laboratory fills me with immense excitement and optimism for the future. With the Ministry of Education’s implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), where Computer Science plays a pivotal role and ICT serves as a primary tool across all areas of learning, this facility couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment. I am committed to nurturing digital literacy and job skills among our students, preparing them for success not only in tertiary education but also in their future endeavors. In doing so, we are actively contributing to the vision of a bottom-up Educational Agenda (BETA) championed by our esteemed president. 

Together, we are not just providing access to technology; we are opening doors to a brighter future for the students of St. Lucy’s High School, empowering them to thrive in a digital world and beyond. 

Written by Douglas Chiriswa, 
St Lucy’s Schools for the Blind Station Lead – Meru, inABLE.