30 August 2025 Antony Kariuki

When Jerrycans Become Drums and Labs: Kipini Learners Find Their Rhythm

At Kipini Primary School, three boys drummed joyfully as other children sang to celebrate a historic day, the arrival of a science lab at their school. Only one had a real drum while the other two used jerrycans turned into instruments. Their music was more than celebration. It was a powerful picture of how learners have had to improvise in creative arts and in science, often making do with what is available. That reality changed as Echo Network Africa Foundation, in partnership with the School Equipment Production Unit, unveiled the very first Mobile Science Lab in Tana River County.

Younger learners peer curiously into the hall as Junior Secondary students receive their first Mobile Science Lab – a glimpse of the future they too will soon experience

A Lab Rooted in Practical Learning

The new lab allows Junior Secondary School students to learn science practically, with microscopes, beakers, and burners replacing theory-only lessons. Importantly, it comes with a jerrycan to safely collect waste water from experiments. This stood in clear contrast to the jerrycans the boys used as drums. One made music for creative arts while the other makes science safer and more engaging. Together, they symbolise how education can flourish when learners have the right tools. Alongside the lab, dignity kits were also provided to girls, enabling them to stay in class with confidence.

The Mobile Science Lab includes a jerrycan to safely collect wastewater from experiments, ensuring that practical lessons are not only engaging but also safe for learners and the environment.

Partnerships Beyond Science

The celebrations also reminded the community that education cannot thrive on equipment alone. Kassim Mohamed, a doctor from Kipini Health Centre, stressed the need for first aid training, since injuries are common during daily school activities. Community leaders raised concerns about early and forced marriages, which continue to hold children back from their studies. The local chief described the lab as an anchor to keep children in school and urged for stronger partnerships to secure the future of learners.

A Call for Wider Collaboration

Echo Network Africa Foundation, together with local partner Kipini Integrated Community Enterprises (KICE), officially handed over the Mobile Science Lab to Kipini Primary School

Kipini’s story shows that every part of learning, from science to health to creative arts to safeguarding children’s rights, requires partnerships. Just as the boys’ music and the lab’s experiments both relied on jerrycans in different ways, every discipline relies on the right support to thrive. Echo Network Africa Foundation now calls for more collaboration to extend this impact to other schools across Kenya. No child should be left without the tools to learn, dream, and succeed.