How the school began
The Irene School Maralal is a private all-girls secondary school, opened in 2017 by Bishop Virgilio Pante of the Diocese of Maralal to give a future to girls in Samburu County fleeing female genital mutilation and forced marriage, or who simply lack the means to continue their education. It took in 73 students in its first year, and another 73 in 2018.
It's also the project STORM Project grew out of. In March 2019, vice-president Mattia Emma traveled to Kenya to visit Bishop Pante, hosted by the school's director, Father Peter Musau, to help with physics lessons and basketball training. That trip led to the decision to found an association to support the school on an ongoing basis.
Vision
A school model able to become self-sufficient over time, both economically and in food production, and to inspire other schools in the region.
Mission
To let the most deserving girls, from families in extreme poverty, complete secondary school and, where possible, go on to university — without having to drop out for economic reasons.
Why it matters, in Samburu
In Samburu County, more than 60% of girls aged 7 to 18 don't attend school, and the region's illiteracy rate is close to 80%. Across the Samburu, Pokot and Turkana communities, girls are often married off as young as 9 to 18 and subjected to female genital mutilation.
The exam that closes primary school in Kenya, which also determines access to secondary school, rarely reflects a girl's real ability: many walk kilometers to reach primary school, help at home or fetch water in the afternoon, and have no electricity to study by at night. The Irene School exists precisely to break that pattern: a boarding school offering room and board for nine of twelve months, in a safe environment. Some girls stay through the holidays too, afraid that going home means being married off.
How we choose who to sponsor
Candidates are identified by the school's director, Father Peter Musau, weighing merit alongside family and economic circumstances — not grades alone, which often don't tell the whole story. Before confirming a sponsorship, we visit the girl's family in person. Each sponsorship is then reviewed annually against her academic progress, based on reports from the director and her teachers.
What a sponsorship covers
Tuition, nine of twelve months of room and board, teaching materials, uniform, and healthcare — about €600 a year per student, the same amount we ask for as an annual sponsorship on our donation page.
Beyond the classroom
The curriculum covers Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Geography, Business Studies, Computer Studies, Home Science and Agriculture. Sport — basketball, football, handball, volleyball, ping-pong, chess and scrabble — is part of the program: it helps surface the girls' talents and supports their academic performance. The school's basketball court was one of the first things STORM Project supported on the ground.
The project's outcome
In total, STORM Project has sponsored 50 students at the Irene School. Over 40 have graduated, and more than 10 are now at university. The project has been considered complete since December 2024: our commitment to girls' education in Samburu now continues through ILEPU School.
In her own words
Back to all projects"I wasn't looking for money, toys, nice clothes or shoes — all I asked for was to have a good mother who would take care of me."