Kwale School for the Deaf students Rose Matano, Mary Matano and Mariam Shaban / JOHN CHESOLI
This seemingly ordinary school hides a profound story of transformation. One made possible through determination, resilience and most significantly, targeted support from the Kenya Pipeline Company Foundation (KPC).
For children once destined for silence and exclusion, Kwale High School for the Deaf is not just a school, it’s a lifeline. And KPC is helping hold the line.
Kwale High School for the Deaf is the only secondary institution for learners with hearing impairment in the entire county. It exists because of a glaring gap in Kenya’s education system, a gap that left many deaf learners stranded after completing primary school.
“For years, children from Kwale Primary School for the Deaf would finish Standard 8 and just return home,” explains Deputy Principal John Macharia. “There was no secondary school they could go to. That’s when we decided to start one.”
From its humble beginnings, characterised by sharing classrooms and resources with the primary section, the school has grown slowly, fuelled by sheer will and community goodwill. Two classrooms and a girls’ dormitory were added along the way, small victories in an uphill battle tocreate dignity and access.
Today, the school has 52 students from across Kenya — Kwale, Mandera and Kisumu — each carrying a story of struggle, resilience and hope. Admission is open to any deaf learner who qualifies, offering a rare and critical opportunity in a country where options for students with disabilities are painfully limited.
SUPPORT AMID POVERTY
Getting into the school is only one part of the journey, however. For many of these students, poverty remains a formidable barrier.
Take Mariam Shaban, a Form 3 student with a dream to become a chef and one day open her own restaurant. Before joining Kwale High School for the Deaf, that dream felt impossibly distant.
“I didn’t have any support before. I was scared there would be no one to help me,” she shares, her words interpreted through a teacher.
Her life changed when she was selected for the Inuka Scholarship, offered by the Kenya Pipeline Company Foundation. The scholarship doesn’t just cover school fees, it provides uniforms, school supplies, mentorship and shopping essentials, allowing students like Mariam to focus on learning.
“They took us to Nairobi. They gave us advice, taught us to work hard and told us to believe in our dreams,” Mariam recalls, smiling at the memory of the mentorship camp organised by KPC.
Now, she is driven by clarity and purpose.
“They chose me, and I am grateful. I want to tell them thank you because I can now see my future.”
Mariam’s story is echoed by many others at the school. Like her, Form 2 student Mary Matano also faced financial uncertainty, her family unable to meet the costs of secondary education. But her dreams were just as bold.
“In the future, I want to become a doctor,” Mary says. “Yes, I think the environment here helps me to work hard. It motivates me, and I know in future, I will become a good doctor.”
She adds with heartfelt sincerity, “I want to tell KPC to please continue supporting me so I can finish Form 3 and keep going.”
Rose Matano, now in Form 3, also wants to give back, this time as a teacher.
“I want to become a teacher,” she signs confidently. “I am learning well. I feel motivated and I want to thank KPC for giving me this chance.”
Her mother had tried to raise money for school fees but couldn’t manage. KPC stepped in and carried the burden.
“When KPC came, they took the burden away, and I could continue learning,” Rose says.
Mariam, Mary and Rose represent the power of intervention done right. Their lives are changing not just because of a scholarship but because of the larger commitment behind it.
SECURITY, DIGNITY AND MENTORSHIP
What makes the Kenya Pipeline Company Foundation’s support remarkable is that it stretches beyond paying school fees. Their partnership with Kwale High School for the Deaf is holistic, aiming to create a safe, empowering environment where deaf students can flourish.
One of the most impactful contributions was constructing a perimeter wall around the school. It may seem like a basic need, but for a school hosting vulnerable learners with hearing impairments, it’s essential.
“Initially, there was no fence. Anyone could walk into the school from any corner,” Deputy Principal Macharia says.
“With the construction of the perimeter wall, I can see that is a big step to make sure that learners living with disabilities are safe and secure.”
KPC’s initial plan had been to replace asbestos roofing at the school, a major health hazard. But when Mombasa Cement came in to handle the roofing, KPC redirected its resources to build the fence and attend to other urgent needs, showing flexibility and commitment to addressing real-time challenges.
KPC also ensures that its impact extends to emotional and psychological development. Through its Inuka mentorship programme, students are taken to Nairobi for a week of mentorship that focuses on life skills, confidence-building, leadership and self-advocacy.
“That week away was transformative,” Macharia says. “The girls came back with confidence, with dreams, with a real sense of what they could achieve.”
Despite these inspiring strides, Kwale High School for the Deaf still has far to go.
The boys still sleep in a partitioned room borrowed from the primary section. There’s no administration block. Science and computer labs, which are essential under the new competency-based curriculum, are nonexistent.
“We are really appealing for continued support,” Macharia says. “If we had a boys’ dorm, an administration block and proper labs, our students would thrive even more.”
Infrastructure gaps aside, the school has become a source of inspiration and identity for children who previously saw little chance of finishing high school. It’s not perfect, but it’s alive with possibility.
KPC’S INUKA VISION
At the heart of this transformation is a visionary CSR commitment by the Kenya Pipeline Company Foundation, which is funded by 1 per cent of KPC’s annual profit before tax—up to Sh150 million every year.
Their flagship programme, Inuka, targets bright, needy students, including those with disabilities, supporting them through secondary, tertiary and even university education.
Every county gets two slots annually (one boy and one girl), but the depth of impact goes far beyond the numbers.
“Most of our students come from very poor backgrounds,” Macharia says. “Sometimes they cannot even afford food or soap, let alone fees.
“KPC gives them everything they need: school uniforms, shopping, books. Parents are so grateful. We cannot take that for granted.”
The needs, however, still exceed the resources available. Many students apply for the Inuka scholarship every year, but the slots are few.
“If we could have more sponsors like KPC, I think we could transform the lives of even more children,” Macharia says.
Kwale High School for the Deaf is a living testament to what happens when corporate responsibility aligns with real community needs. In this quiet corner of Kenya, young, deaf students are learning, dreaming and believing in futures that once felt out of reach.
Their sign language conversations may not echo down the hallways like loud voices might, but their impact resounds loudly across the county.
Thanks to the support from KPC Foundation, hope is no longer silent here. It is speaking.
Clearly, confidently and with purpose.
And perhaps, in the eyes of girls like Mariam, Mary and Rose, that’s the most powerful sound of all.
