We are always very grateful to our donors who generously support the projects of Reach the Children. We report back on how their donations have been spent and occasionally we can do something for them.  Trust 2000 recently funded the building of boys and girls toilet blocks at Ematibira Primary School in Kenya.  Hand washing stations have also been installed that have transformed the health status around the school with fewer sicknesses due to poor hygiene practices. A passing comment from the Trustee mentioned a relative, Harold Chapman, who had set up a school in a place called Kakamega in Western Kenya; could we make enquiries about him and the school.

Finding ourselves in Kakamega one afternoon we called in to what is now Kakamega High School and met Gerald Orina, the current headmaster, who ushered us in to his office and we met with his secretary. She produced a treasure trove of history about the early days of the school including photographs of young Harold Chapman, taken in 1932 when he was just building the school. As the school’s first headmaster, Harold was in the post for 24 years and today it is a thriving state high school with more than 1,700 pupils. Harold’s benign portrait hangs in the Headmaster’s office.  His legacy is the lives that have been brightened through education, a fitting memorial to an educator.

Harold’s relatives have a little more family history to be proud of and we at Reach the Children were pleased to have been of assistance.