by Elijah Tanui
Kenya is a country blessed with a diversity of birdlife some of which are unique to its tropical climate. In this issue of eCentury we will highlight on birdlife species in the Rift Valley. The region has the highest number of bird species in the whole world which has attracted the biggest number of bird watchers. This region also serves as the best spot for migrant birds that come to Africa due to harsh winters especially from the months of November to March.
Lake Nakuru with its large number of flamingoes and other water birds, which sometimes goes up to three million, is one of the most ideal havens for bird watchers. Lake Baringo is another tourist attraction because of its high bird species population-more than 500, some of which are exclusive to the region. During winter in the temperate regions some birds migrate and find a home in this area, to Bogoria and the wider Kerio Valley. Examples of birds which migrate during this season include steppe Eagle, white stork, black stork, martins, swallows and swifts.
Rift valley also offers the best spot for researchers in birdlife who come mostly from Europe. Ringing is done on the birds so as to monitor their movement from Africa to Europe. The ringing is connected to satellites which relay information on how the birds travel, and thus can be monitored.
Traditionally, some birds are considered bad omen by some communities. A deeper understanding of this connotation has to do with conservation. Our great grandparents were conservation-oriented; most of the birds which were classified under this category were threatened ones because of their small numbers, and their chances of survival were minimal.
Birds were also useful in predicting seasons; our forefathers used to observe bird behavior which used tell true facts about the seasons. Famers would know when to prepare their land, when to plant and how the seasons would go. Today, this is no more. The only viable option is meteorological data, which has in most instances proved quite unreliable.
There are many other places which has rare birds but many people are not keen to realize and appreciate the importance and the value which these birds can bring to them. Some of the areas considered as important bird areas (IBA) in the Rift Valley are: Kerio Valley, Cherang'any Hills, Mount Elgon, Tugen Hills, and many other places that have not been identified.
Communities living in or around any wetlands and forests should be vigilant and take responsibility putting in mind the benefits of conserving birdlife, and consider the future generations. People living in such regions should be conservation-oriented because any destruction to the ecosystem destroys our heritage. When we begin to realize our role in taking responsibility, then we can be assured of a better future.
eCentury is a Kenyan monthly newspaper published by Sir Communications. We publish unique, innovative, and empowering stories mainly on Kenyan issues. We are very investigative and our stories come from the remotest parts of Kenya.
Showing posts with label Cherang'any. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cherang'any. Show all posts
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Reinventing Co-education in Cherang’any
By eCentury Reporter
Indeed it’s a school without huge magnificent and imposing buildings. A school without power connection to KPLC but depends on a generator to light her classes at night. Yet with such setbacks she was ranked number one in Eldoret West district, no.2 in the greater Uasin Gishu district, no.7 in Rift Valley province and 25 nationally in the 2008 KCSE performance.
The school is Segero Adventist National School, a mixed boarding school whose motto: IN GOD WE EXCEL has literally transformed the slopes of Cherangani Hills from hyena-infested, stiff hill and stony landscape into an icon and epicentre of academic excellence. The school was established in 1976 as a private mission school. It is located 50 km North of Eldoret town on Chepkoilel-Ziwa road. It is currently the best Adventist School in Kenya with a population of 550 students.
All the 91 students who were enrolled for 2008 KCSE passed with C plus and above. They were 52 boys and 39 girls. No candidate had a C grade and below. The school’s ‘Operation C out’ achieved the feat. The school has been systematically getting rid of the undesirable grade according to the deputy principal. Thus they eradicated the C plain and the minus.
The school is turning both girls and boys into great performers demystifying the notion that mixed schools are academic disasters. Nakuru High School formerly a mixed national school was split into two: Nakuru Girls and Nakuru Boys basically to separate boys from girls with a hope to create an enabling academic environment. In Trans-Nzoia district St.Joseph’s High School was equally split into St.Joseph’s Boys and St.Joseph’s Girls with the hope that the move would make a single sex school a better performer.
Segero Adventist National School is a proof that both boys and girls can perform superbly in a co-educational institution. For instance in the 2008 KCSE results two students scored plain As. They were a boy and a girl. A minus were 21:12 boys and 9 girls. B plus were 22:13 boys and 9 girls. The B plain were 20: 12 boys and 8 girls. B minus were 16:8 boys and 8 girls. C plus were 10:6 boys and 4 girls.
According to Boniface Siyoi a language teacher, the school has been registering an upward trend in languages. That in the 2008 KCSE performance English was 9.3 points or B plain. He further revealed that literature set books are introduced and cleared in form two and that from form two onwards students are subjected to a standard language exam which involves three papers. He further noted that 8 lessons per week are taught from form one to four.
Students of Segero according to the Head of Science Mr. Calisto Asembo are performing well in science. In 2008, Chemistry registered a mean of 9.8 or B plus followed by Physics at 8.6 or a B and Biology at 8 or B. He further disclosed that 32 students scored plain As in Chemistry in 2008.
He further observes “Science subjects in Segero are practical. In form 4 for instance they do a practical exam every weekend. Our students must perform experiments practically.”
On the secret of their success he revealed that “teamwork is our benchmark. Marking of papers is done as a group. No lesson is missed or skipped. Whenever a teacher is sick or absent for circumstances beyond his or her control we make sure another teacher is available.”
Asembo is ever in the laboratory with Abraham Rotich the lab technician.
He concluded, “Our students are wonderful; they co-operate with us”.
Victor Kimutai a Form 3 student at Segero joined form one with 380 marks. He came from a public primary school. He had this to say, “I plan be a pilot. An A plain in KCSE is my target”. Winnie Chepkorir another form 3 student came to Segero with 359 marks. She came from a public primary school. “I will become an accountant in future” she notes. Daisy Boroon another form 3 observes that she hopes to become a neurosurgeon. “I will become a lawyer” Betty Maswai added. She had joint Segero with 360 marks from a public primary school. Brian Bichang’a, a form 3 boy who intends to pursue electrical engineering observed, “In Segero we boys treat the girls as our sisters; they in turn treat us as brothers.”
Indeed it’s a school without huge magnificent and imposing buildings. A school without power connection to KPLC but depends on a generator to light her classes at night. Yet with such setbacks she was ranked number one in Eldoret West district, no.2 in the greater Uasin Gishu district, no.7 in Rift Valley province and 25 nationally in the 2008 KCSE performance.
The school is Segero Adventist National School, a mixed boarding school whose motto: IN GOD WE EXCEL has literally transformed the slopes of Cherangani Hills from hyena-infested, stiff hill and stony landscape into an icon and epicentre of academic excellence. The school was established in 1976 as a private mission school. It is located 50 km North of Eldoret town on Chepkoilel-Ziwa road. It is currently the best Adventist School in Kenya with a population of 550 students.
All the 91 students who were enrolled for 2008 KCSE passed with C plus and above. They were 52 boys and 39 girls. No candidate had a C grade and below. The school’s ‘Operation C out’ achieved the feat. The school has been systematically getting rid of the undesirable grade according to the deputy principal. Thus they eradicated the C plain and the minus.
The school is turning both girls and boys into great performers demystifying the notion that mixed schools are academic disasters. Nakuru High School formerly a mixed national school was split into two: Nakuru Girls and Nakuru Boys basically to separate boys from girls with a hope to create an enabling academic environment. In Trans-Nzoia district St.Joseph’s High School was equally split into St.Joseph’s Boys and St.Joseph’s Girls with the hope that the move would make a single sex school a better performer.
Segero Adventist National School is a proof that both boys and girls can perform superbly in a co-educational institution. For instance in the 2008 KCSE results two students scored plain As. They were a boy and a girl. A minus were 21:12 boys and 9 girls. B plus were 22:13 boys and 9 girls. The B plain were 20: 12 boys and 8 girls. B minus were 16:8 boys and 8 girls. C plus were 10:6 boys and 4 girls.
According to Boniface Siyoi a language teacher, the school has been registering an upward trend in languages. That in the 2008 KCSE performance English was 9.3 points or B plain. He further revealed that literature set books are introduced and cleared in form two and that from form two onwards students are subjected to a standard language exam which involves three papers. He further noted that 8 lessons per week are taught from form one to four.
Students of Segero according to the Head of Science Mr. Calisto Asembo are performing well in science. In 2008, Chemistry registered a mean of 9.8 or B plus followed by Physics at 8.6 or a B and Biology at 8 or B. He further disclosed that 32 students scored plain As in Chemistry in 2008.
He further observes “Science subjects in Segero are practical. In form 4 for instance they do a practical exam every weekend. Our students must perform experiments practically.”
On the secret of their success he revealed that “teamwork is our benchmark. Marking of papers is done as a group. No lesson is missed or skipped. Whenever a teacher is sick or absent for circumstances beyond his or her control we make sure another teacher is available.”
Asembo is ever in the laboratory with Abraham Rotich the lab technician.
He concluded, “Our students are wonderful; they co-operate with us”.
Victor Kimutai a Form 3 student at Segero joined form one with 380 marks. He came from a public primary school. He had this to say, “I plan be a pilot. An A plain in KCSE is my target”. Winnie Chepkorir another form 3 student came to Segero with 359 marks. She came from a public primary school. “I will become an accountant in future” she notes. Daisy Boroon another form 3 observes that she hopes to become a neurosurgeon. “I will become a lawyer” Betty Maswai added. She had joint Segero with 360 marks from a public primary school. Brian Bichang’a, a form 3 boy who intends to pursue electrical engineering observed, “In Segero we boys treat the girls as our sisters; they in turn treat us as brothers.”
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