In the month of August, our Chelezo High School Form 3 (Juniors) class went to the Aberdares for the second phase of the Senior Leadership Program. The Mt. Kenya climb at the end of the year is the summit of our Senior Leadership program (SLP). In preparation for that final challenge, our students and select staff undergo a series of cumulative challenges to prepare them mentally and physically for that final climb. Throughout the process we invite a number of our key staff to participate with the students, providing an opportunity for leadership and mentorship for our staff as well as fostering knowledge and understanding of the students, the Senior Leadership Program, and the entire leadership process.

The Aberdare Range is a part of our SLP experience as it has a similar climate and topography to Mt. Kenya, which makes it an ideal preparatory experience for our students. In addition to these physical features, this range is also an ideal experience for our students studying Geography, Economics and the Social Sciences as the Range is an important natural resource in Kenya. The Aberdares Range is the water catchment area for the Sasuma and Ndakaini Dams, which provide most of the water for the city of Nairobi, which is home to approximately 5.3 million people.

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In addition, the Aberdare mountain forests are catchment areas for the largest river in Kenya, the Tana River, which supplies water to the Seven Forks hydroelectric power complex which generates over 55 percent of Kenya's total electricity output. Due to deforestation over the last two decades, Kenya’s tree cover is below 10%.  Therefore, to protect this important resource, tree planting continues to be a priority in the area. To this end, our staff and students played their part in caring for their environment by participating in some tree planting before they left the Aberdares.

We are grateful for your support which enables our students to be challenged and grow through our Senior Leadership Program. Would you pray for our Chelezo High School Juniors that they would continue to grow into becoming leaders that would help transform their communities for the better?