Having been brought up in abject poverty, James Kemeto never got education due to financial constraints.
According to him, growing up his family relied on a well-wisher as they couldn’t afford anything. The well-wisher also helped him to start his education but unfortunately died before he finished school forcing him to drop out of school in class eight.
He would years later land a job as an assistant tour guide at the Amboseli National Park, a job that enabled him to actualize his dream of bringing education closer to his village after failed efforts by the government.
Kemeto says he felt that the government had ignored his community by not building a school in the area, denying a good number of children their right to education.
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Through help from a tourist, Kemeto was able to establish Esiteti Primary School deep inside the Amboseli National Park.
“I talked to a tourist who gave me a hundred dollars that I used to start the school. He helped open an account and using that money helped me to buy books and pay that teacher I had hired,” said Kemeto.
“The kids used to learn under a tree, and upon reaching class three I transferred them to a nearby school,” he added.
The school has grown to a population of over 400 students. Kemeto’s urge to see children get educated, whereas himself was not educated, moved the hearts of many, including Terry Gabrielsen who stepped in as a sponsor for Esiteti Primary School.
