American songstress Selena Gomez's visit to the country in December 2019 was courtesy of an international NGO identified as WE Foundation, an educational partner operating on collaborative programs globally.
The foundation was founded by Craig Kielburger, a New York Times bestselling author, who has published 12 books, and has received The Order of Canada, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Medal and the World Children’s Prize.
According to the organization's website, it partners with communities to implement WE Villages, a holistic, five-pillar international development model designed to achieve sustainable change in the fields of education, water, health, food and work opportunities.
In Kenya, WE indicated that it has been working with the Maasai, Kipsigis and Kisii communities from the early 2000s, helping to co-create sustainable solutions that empower the communities to build brighter futures for themselves and their families and to ensure the survival of their vibrant cultures.
The NGO also boasts of having constructed an all-girls secondary school for both Maasai and Kipsigis students, and an all-boys secondary school as well, to serve students graduating from primary schools in the partner communities.
"The WE Villages programs boast of having accomplished many things, including providing 13,000 Kenyan children with the opportunity to attend WE-supported schools, and even help in building more than 230 schoolrooms, libraries, teachers' offices, and kitchen," the website announced.
The organization also takes credit for two health centres in the region, Baraka Hospital and Kishon Health Centre, which have provided medical care to over 125,000 patients.
The works undertaken by the organization impressed Selena and her partner, who took to social media to explain the impact that the Kenyan tour made in their lives.
"During one of our afternoons, we had the opportunity to bead jewellery with a group of local mamas. Even though we didn't speak the same language, we had the best time together and were able to connect through eye contact, smiles, laughter and hugs,"
"We also visited two of the WE schools. The secondary girls' school and the WE college where we were moved by the stories we heard and inspired by the intelligent, confident girls we got to spend time with."
The hit-maker agreed that much needed to be done to improve the state of education in the country, especially for the girl child who in her opinion, is still lagging behind in terms of acces to higher education.
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