Elimu Resource Centre is more than just a space for learning. In many ways, it’s a home away from home for our hardworking staff and beneficiaries , especially the hundreds of students and youth that frequent the Centre. Just like an ideal home, the Centre is a comfortable space that people enjoy being in. It encourages inspiration, creativity and productivity – and reflects our organization’s culture. We shall be soon celebrating our third anniversary since we were blessed to move to this beautiful four-storey building with ample space for learners of all kinds.
The extra space is not only allowing us to serve many more students for their educational needs, but it is also opening the door for us to work towards self-sustainabilty. Elimu Resource Centre encompasses a conference hall which is helping to earn us income. From its vantage point on the 4th floor of the Centre, our Conference Hall offers a large, bright, modern space with panoramic views of Malindi town. It is well furnished with a pull-down-screen and a state-of-the-art projector, basic public address system and Wi-Fi.
“Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible.”
We are working to make the conference facility a major income generating source as we work towards self-sustainability. It has already been hired out by different types of groups such as SACCO’s (ie. savings & loan groups), youth groups, schools and even companies for their training meetings.
Apart from conferences, the hall is put to good use by high schools coming in to watch videos for set books (ie. official school appointed novels). We offer the stories themselves as well as author’s analyses. Set book viewing provides a forum for discussion and helps students to deepen their understanding of the novels as they prepare to explain various elements of the stories in their exams. We can comfortably serve about 150 students at a go.
While serving an important need in the community, we are able to gain income towards our goal of reducing our dependency on donors. We truly understand that the future depends on today, and that is why we are in pursuit of self-sustainability – it’s also what we are teaching our students: that the greatest thing in the world is to know how to be self-sufficient!