PATRIZIA School Syangeni
Syangeni is a small village in the Kitui region of Kenya. The area is characterized by agriculture, often affected by drought and is close to the Tsavo National Park. In order to find paid work, a good education is absolutely necessary. The PATRIZIA School Syangeni was built in 2017 in partnership with the Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V.
It is a shining example of how to improve education and living conditions in one of the poorest regions of Kenya. The school addresses critical challenges such as insufficient access to a high proportion of illiterate people, lack of educational opportunities, lack of access to drinking water and the region’s dependence on agriculture.
„The PATRIZIA School Syangeni really makes a difference and is part of the wider work of the Foundation which has, and is, changing the lives of hundreds and thousands of young people.”
Asoka Wöhrmann
CEO
PATRIZIA SE
Education as a way out of poverty
Across the region, pupils have to travel long distances every day under difficult conditions. There is a lack of educational infrastructure. In existing schools, teaching methods are outdated and access to digital learning tools is limited. These problems reflect the economic and social challenges of Kitui, where climatic challenges such as irregular rainfall threaten agriculture and thus people’s livelihoods. Urgent, holistic action is needed to sustainably promote education and the well-being of the community.
As the region has been struggling with extreme droughts and increasingly long dry periods for years due to climate change and the existing schools are too small and inadequately equipped to provide a good learning environment for the children, PATRIZIA School Syangeni was founded in 2017 together with Welthungerhilfe e.V. The elementary school started with 160 children in six classrooms. To build the school, the parents – mainly the mothers – produced over 34,000 bricks by hand. Along the construction of the school, an administration building, sanitary facilities and a water tank were built to ensure the drinking water is available. The government had the tank filled for the opening ceremony in 2017. Many of the children were able to use a tap for the first time in their lives. A school garden helps to understand agriculture.
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Expansion to improve education and living conditions
In 2024–2025, the PATRIZIA School Syangeni was expanded to accommodate the growing number of students. To improve the situation of long and dangerous journeys to school, two separate dormitories for boys and girls, each with 50 beds, were built. In addition, six accommodations for teaching staff were built to ensure continuous teaching with motivated teachers. In addition, a fence was erected around the school grounds to enhance the children’s safety.
To improve the water supply, a brick water storage tank with a capacity of 100 m³ was built and rain gutters were installed. This replaced the water tank with a permanent water collection structure, ensuring that water is available even during the long dry season. The expansion was rounded off by the installation of solar panels for a decentralized and environmentally friendly power supply and the construction of an ICT laboratory for digital learning. An additional pond and a drip irrigation system support the school’s agricultural activities in the school garden. Thanks to these expansions, the PATRIZIA School Syangeni has become a model school for the entire region – with sustainable approaches, maximum self-sufficiency, and digital, child-centered learning methods.
Your contribution:
We need your donation for the expansion of the school. We guarantee that 100% of it will benefit the children in Syangeni. With your help, we can build dormitories and a new water tank and give the children in Kenya a better future by teaching them the ability to read and write – something that most parents do not know how to do
December 2024: Here we go!
The foundation stone for the expansion of PATRIZIA KinderHaus Syangeni was laid at the end of 2024 with high-calibre participation from the Ministry of Education, the national government administration, the district government, local political representatives and the entire school community. The event was a great success and the first important milestone.
Following extensive construction preparations – including the final fine-tuning of planning, material procurement and ordering – construction work was able to start at the beginning of March 2025.
Project Visit to Syangeni
In mid-May 2025, our project manager Kristian Bollmann was on site in Kenya to personally monitor the progress on the construction site and to exchange ideas with those involved on site, the school management and our project partners Welthungerhilfe and StartSomewhere. The visit was not only very warm – with a welcome from the school children and teaching staff – but also valuable in terms of content.
The first stop was the TwistBlock factory in Kibera, Nairobi’s largest slum. There, Kristian was given a comprehensive insight into the manufacture of the innovative building block, which is also produced locally.
The journey continued to Syangeni, about 250 kilometres away. A walk around the site made the construction progress clearly visible – particularly at the teacher’s house, where the first TwistBlocks are already being laid.
One of the highlights of the visit was the on-site training session with local craftsmen and community members. The team didn’t just build together – they also shared knowledge, especially around the TwistBlock construction method. This not only improves quality but also strengthens local skills and fosters ownership.
During a community meeting, project goals, the new building technology and long-term plans were presented. The response was overwhelmingly positive – the local population fully supports the project and is actively contributing to its success.
November 2025: Inauguration
Great joy and colorful celebrations in Kenya: The new extension buildings of the PATRIZIA KinderHaus Syangeni have been officially inaugurated!
This special moment was celebrated on site together with our Chairwoman, Astrid Gabler, the CEO of PATRIZIA SE, Asoka Wöhrmann, as well as representatives of the project partners PERI and Welthungerhilfe.
With dance and singing, the entire school community celebrated the completion of this forward-looking construction project. Thanks to the innovative TwistBlock construction method and the strong commitment of the local community, significant improvements have been achieved.
Safety & Education: Two new dormitories with 100 beds spare the children dangerous journeys to school, and six new teachers’ residences help ensure the quality of education.
Focus on Resources: A 100 m³ water storage tank and a new solar power system guarantee an independent supply of water and electricity.
Sustainability: The project also served as a training site for local craftsmen, ensuring that valuable know-how remains within the community.
Syangeni is now a model school for the entire region, where modern technology and child-centered learning go hand in hand.
„It was an amazing experience and it truly touches my heart to see how important the school is – not only in providing children with access to education, but regarding the development opportunities and the hope given that they can shape brighter futures for themselves.”
Asoka Wöhrmann
CEO
PATRIZIA SE
Thank you to the main sponsor:
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