By GENERATION NEXT REPORTER
Two hundred students from Lang’ata West Primary School became Total Kenya Limited road safety ambassadors after successfully completing the Company’s On the Road to Safety programme.
The ambassadors were recognised at a function held to mark the second United Nations Global Safety Week, as well as the school’s annual prize giving ceremony.
Dignitaries present at the event included Alexis Vovk, the managing director of Total Kenya, Sofie From-Emmseberger, the Finnish Ambassador, Dr Custodia Mandlhate, the World Health Organisation country representative in Kenya, John Njenga, the Lieutenant Colonel of the Kenya Air Force Samuel Kimaru, the traffic commandant of the Kenya Police, and representatives from the Ministry of Education.
An entertainment session rich in song, poems and drama skits was included in the day’s programme with the highlight being a play based on road crossing and traffic light signs.
Total Kenya donated 2,000 indigenous trees that were planted with help from Kenya Air Force personnel during the event.
Excelled
The climax of the day, however, was the presentation of the prizes to the students who excelled in academics, sports and talent. The road safety ambassadors also got prizes.
Speaking at the function, Alexis, who was the guest of honour said that according to United Nations statistics, road accidents were the leading cause of fatalities in Kenya and other developing countries, with children being particularly vulnerable due to their size and limitations of judgement.
It is for this reason that in 2010, Total Kenya partnered with the World Bank to form an NGO known as Safe Way Right Way whose goal is to improve road safety.
As the day wound up, children at the Lang’ata West Primary School were also presented with treated mosquito nets, puzzles and playing cards with games teaching malaria awareness as part of Total Kenya’s anti-malaria campaign.
