Six months later, a chapel for the school was built and later this chapel was divided into four classrooms.Īlthough the African children in the area were also welcome, it was decided that the need for college-preparatory education was not necessary for them. The school was opened that year in one of the missionary’s living rooms. He approached one of the missionaries, Josephine Hope, who was known for her teaching experience with Montessori schools and requested her assistance in establishing the school. Hurlburt returned to Kijabe in 1906 ready with a plan to meet the needs of the missionaries under his wing. Hurlburt also had the honor of meeting and sharing the nature of his work with President Theodore Roosevelt. He would later play a major role in the expansion of the school. Cognisant that the school would be necessary for the survival of the mission, he met with a wealthy friend, Mr. Here he accomplished some feats that spoke to his vision to establish a school in Kijabe. In 1905 Hurlburt took a leave of absence to the United States. The debate among the missionaries at the Kijabe mission then became, remain in Africa and fulfill their missionary calling, or return to America and perform their parental duties. However, as stipulated by the Philadelphia Missionary Council, the mission’s policy was that education was to be a responsibility for families. The mission would ideally include a church, a dispensary, and a school. In 1902, what was to become the largest mission station in Africa was set up. More so, it was closer to the railway line. Kijabe, which means ‘the place of cold wind s’ in Maa was an ideal location because there was less exposure to malaria parasites. In due time, he found a suitable location in Kijabe, 40km southwest of Naivasha that overlooked the Rift. When Hurlburt heard the news, he was disappointed but kept the faith his vision for the mission overrode feelings of loss. He convinced de Winton to sell him the land where he would later set up the Delamere Dairies. Delamere was aghast that such fertile farmland was about to be ‘wasted’ on missionaries. Amidst the conversation, de Winton mentioned his meeting with Hurlburt. Delamere was an aristocrat who had previously gone hunting in British Somaliland before setting foot in Colonial Kenya in 1901. However, that evening, de Winton hosted a dinner party where he invited a newly arrived Lord Delamere. The meeting went well, and it was agreed that Hurlburt would sign a 99-year lease the following day. He organized to meet with the colonial administrator, Francis de Winton, to whom he would express his interest in the land. While searching for a suitable area to establish the AIM headquarters, Hurlburt was drawn to a lush area surrounding Lake Naivasha. In 1901, he and his family arrived just in time to experience the new railway line that had been built from Mombasa to Kisumu. Rift Valley Academy came to be through the initiative of missionaries of the Africa Inland Mission (AIM) which was headed by the Philadelphia Missionary Council.įollowing a failed effort between 18 by AIM to set up a mission station in British East Africa, Rev.
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