Global awards: Kenyan colleges shine at gala in Canada
Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) dominated the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) gala awards in Montreal, Canada where Kenya scooped four awards. RVIST won a gold award in the SDGs Award category in the excellence awards that attracted 18 global colleges and polytechnics. RVIST principal Sammy Chemoiwa won a gold award in leadership in diversity and inclusion. Kenya School of TVET and Nairobi Technical Training Institute won a bronze medal each in the Teacher Professional Development Award and in the Applied Research and Innovation Award category, respectively. WFCP Awards of Excellence recognise outstanding contributions from member institutions, individuals, associations, and exceptional initiatives which strengthen applied learning and research outcomes. Former principal Dr Dan Mutai won a silver medal in the lifetime achievement award category, while WFCP President Dawn Ward, won gold medal. “I received this award because of the services I rendered to TVET institutions in Kenya in the last 10 years,” said Dr Mutai. Mr Chemoiwa said the institution has programmes intended to protect the environment. “We have been championing mitigation of climate change through various avenues and we include it in the training of our 12,000 students,” he said. The award comes in the wake of a flurry of activities at the Nakuru City-based institution where it has intensified the fight against climate change. “We also collaborate with other institutions and are working with Geothermal Development Company (GDC), and Triple X among others, to leverage on value addition from renewable energy,” added Mr Chemoiwa. “We also involve our research unit to impart skills to our students so that when they complete their studies, they will help the communities boost food production.” In climate change, RVIST is working with other community-based institutions operating in marginalized communities like Maa Trust in Narok and Baringo, to raise climate change awareness. Mr Chemoiwa said every student is given 100 tree seedlings to plant. “In our next financial year, our target is to have a million tree seedlings. We sell 60 per cent and donate 40 per cent to the community as part of our contribution to the government's ambitious project to plant 15 billion trees in the next five years,” said the principal.