Help us build a school, change young lives, and strengthen a community
In July 2026, immediately after Trinity Term, Barnard Castle School pupils will have the opportunity to take part in a powerful expedition to Kenya, building on our long-standing partnership with Kipsaina Village. This is not simply a trip abroad. It is an ambitious commitment to build a complete new early years school for a rural community in urgent need.
Following Barney’s successful 2018 expedition to Kipsaina, the 2026 journey is rooted firmly in the School’s values of Community, Character and Ambition. This time, however, the challenge is greater – and the impact even more significant.
A school that must be rebuilt
Saiwa Early Years Primary School currently serves some of the youngest and most vulnerable children in the area. The existing building has now been condemned due to unsafe mud-brick construction. As a result, very young pupils are being forced to walk several kilometres each day to attend alternative schools.
By working in collaboration with the local farming community – already engaged through our conservation and social enterprise partnerships – Barnard Castle School aims to rebuild Saiwa Early Years Primary as a safe, modern and permanent school. This project will strengthen community cohesion and ensure children gain the secure educational start they deserve.
Learning through partnership
The expedition offers pupils the chance to make a genuine difference through hands-on school-building work, village engagement and cultural exchange. Students will stay in Kipsaina, allowing them to see the direct impact of fundraising efforts and to learn alongside the community they are supporting.
Alongside construction work, pupils will explore Kenya’s wildlife, landscapes and ecosystems. These experiences build resilience, empathy and leadership, while encouraging students to step outside their comfort zones and take responsibility in a global context.
Help us build Saiwa Early Years Primary School
We are looking for sponsors for this vital school-building work and would be very grateful if you might consider following the donation link below.
Make a donation
Before vs after: We completely renovated this classroom in our 2018 trip, providing a safe and productive space for local students.
Our goals for the 2026 expedition
We are aiming to raise £13,000 to build an early years primary school for Saiwa community as part of the Barney School 2026 Kenya Expedition. If we raise more, this will be used for the building of a vital rain-water tank and latrine block.
Money raised beyond this will be used for water tanks, which will be built in other schools. Barney works with KEEP and our Kenyan partners, KCWCG, to deliver safe schools, community infrastructure, clean water, and sustainable livelihoods through social enterprise. Our shared aim is conservation that works with people rather than excluding people.
Why early years education matters in rural Kenya
In rural Western Kenya, access to safe, well-built early years classrooms is critical for long-term educational outcomes. Yet many schools, including Saiwa Primary School, are still constructed from mud bricks with earth floors and temporary tin roofing. These buildings are often unsafe during the rainy season, noisy during storms, and poorly ventilated, making teaching and learning difficult.
Improving such infrastructure is about more than just buildings – it provides children with stability, safety, and the environment they need to develop foundational literacy, numeracy, and social skills. For teachers, it allows lessons to be delivered effectively and consistently, creating a platform for real educational progress.
In July 2026, 18 pupils and three teachers from Barnard Castle School will travel to Kipsaina to complete the rebuilding of Saiwa Primary School, a vital early years school serving children from surrounding rural communities.
Creating a safe, productive learning space
The current building is a mud-brick structure with temporary roofing, making it difficult to deliver lessons effectively during the rainy season. The expedition will focus on:
- Completing three fully usable classrooms
- Installing concrete flooring
- Roofing, ceilings, and guttering
- Construction of a concrete veranda
- Internal and external rendering and painting
- Secure doors and windows
- Provision of appropriate early years furniture
- Construction of three ISSB rainwater-harvesting tanks for Saiwa and neighbouring schools
The total project budget is £13,000, a figure well within accepted benchmarks for rural school builds in Kenya, offering durability, safety, and a higher-quality learning environment for young children.
How you can help
We warmly invite Old Barnardians, families, companies, year groups, and friends of the school to support the next chapter of this partnership.
You can:
- Sponsor a classroom
- Sponsor a rainwater-harvesting tank
- Contribute towards materials, furniture, or training
As with previous projects, significant sponsors may have their names or company logos painted on the school buildings or tanks. Please inform us if you or your company are interested in this and we will provide suitable confirmation photographs for CSR, annual reports, etc.
* Group photo shows Barney students and the Kipsaina Village community during the 2018 trip.
A continuing story of global citizenship
This expedition builds on a 32-year story of friendship, learning, and collaboration between the wider Barnard Castle family and the Kipsaina community, connecting classroom learning in the UK with meaningful environmental and social impact in Kenya.
By supporting the 2026 Barney Kenya Expedition, you are helping to:
- Transform early years education for rural children
- Strengthen community-led conservation
- Empower young people – both in Kenya and at Barnard Castle School – to become thoughtful, responsible global citizens
Together, we can build classrooms that change lives
Click the link below to find out more about the Kipsaina Education and Environment Partnership and the work they do to deliver safe schools, clean water, and more.
Find out more