Ainabkoi school embraces barter trade to settle school fees

As Form One students reported to school on Wednesday, parent George Gachanja walked to a school in Ainabkoi sub-county, Uasin Gishu County, with a load of firewood on a donkey-powered cart.

He was not rewarding Rurigi Mixed Boarding Secondary or its staff with wood fuel.

This was school fees for his 15-year-old son, who was joining Form One.

The school in Burnt Forest has embraced a form of barter trade as a way of settling school fees for struggling learners.

The school allows parents to bring in non-monetary items such as farm produce, building stones and even firewood.

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The hard economic times this academic season mean that the school is likely to receive more of these items, trading them for school fees.

It is the reason parents have been flocking to the school compound carrying sacks of maize, loads of firewood and building stones, among other goods.

Principal Edward Wanjala says the arrangement takes into account the high levels of poverty in the area, so parents are allowed to bring in whatever goods they have that can be converted into school fees.

Like Mr Gachanja, a majority of parents in the area are peasant farmers facing a myriad of challenges. It is not just the high poverty levels that they struggle with but also poor roads and high levels of illiteracy.

Speaking to the Nation on Wednesday during Form One admissions, Mr Wanjala said the barter trade had greatly improved enrolment.

“Before I was transferred to this school, some parents were not bringing their children to school due to lack of fees. After we started allowing them to pay school fees using farm produce, firewood, building materials, among other goods, enrolment has risen,” he said.

The principal said the school does not send students home for school fees. Instead, administrators request parents to bring to school produce or anything they have that can be converted into school fees and most parents have embraced the policy.

“I brought my son to join this school and since I have no money, this firewood that you see here is what I am using to settle his school fees,” Mr Gachanja said.

His son scored 268 marks at Arnasense Primary School.

Mr Gachanja hailed the school for allowing parents to pay fees using what they can afford.

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“I knew about this school through a parent who informed me that they pay fees using their farm produce among other goods that the school needs,” he said.

As we spoke to Mr Gachanja, another parent was busy arranging building stones in the school compound, which he had brought in as school fees for his child. 

“A majority of us parents in this school don’t have money for school fees. But we have some firewood, some little maize we harvest and our labour to render to the school as fee payment,” said Joseph Wainaina who also brought maize to the school.

The school has 540 students. But with increasing enrolment, the number is expected to rise to 600.

Mr Wanjala hailed local leaders, including area MP William Chepkut for helping the school build modern classrooms and dormitories.

But he appealed to other well-wishers to continue supporting the school so as to build an administration block. Teachers now work from an iron-sheet makeshift structure.

“I thank local leaders for helping us build modern infrastructure in this school. Special thanks to our area MP William Chepkut, who has immensely [helped] through the National Government Constituency Development Fund,” he said.

“We appeal to other well-wishers to help us put up a modern administration block and staff houses.”

Rurigi Secondary School was established in 1991 and underwent an upgrade after it was damaged during the 2007 post-election violence.

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