The Inspiration
This Education Foundation is in honor of the late Mr Johnston Ashene and Mrs. Florah Ashene.
The late Mr. Johnston Ashene and Mrs. Flora Ashene were teachers all their formal employment life in a career spanning over 30 years. They valued education and inspired the many students they taught in various schools to pursue education as the key to a better future. In all the schools they taught, Mr. and Mrs. Ashene were driven by the desire to see the students perform well and in turn improve the socio-economic circumstances of the families they came from, many of which were low-income households.
A large majority of their students went on to become useful members of society, serving in different capacities such as professionals in dental and healthcare, University professors including one who is based in Canada and another at Laikipia University, a former Judge of the Court of Appeal, bankers, workers with NGOs (non-profit organizations) and media companies, the first female Bishop with the Anglican church in Kenya and a renowned Veterinary Doctor to name but a few.
This Education founda is in honor of the late Mr Johnston Ashene and Mrs. Florah Ashene.
The late Mr. Johnston Ashene and Mrs. Flora Ashene were teachers all their formal employment life in a career spanning over 30 years. They valued education and inspired the many students they taught in various schools to pursue education as the key to a better future. In all the schools they taught, Mr. and Mrs. Ashene were driven by the desire to see the students perform well and in turn improve the socio-economic circumstances of the families they came from, many of which were low-income households.
A large majority of their students went on to become useful members of society, serving in different capacities such as professionals in dental and healthcare, University professors including one who is based in Canada and another at Laikipia University, a former Judge of the Court of Appeal, bankers, workers with NGOs (non-profit organizations) and media companies, the first female Bishop with the Anglican church in Kenya and a renowned Veterinary Doctor to name but a few.
Mr. and Mrs. Ashene served on the same staff at Butere Girls High School from 1970 to 1976, and at Lugulu Girls High School from 1976 to 1985. Mr. Ashene taught Chemistry while Mrs. Ashene taught English and Home Science. At Lugulu, the Ashenes had the opportunity to live in a multi-national community, with staff from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, India and Uganda. At Lugulu, Mr. Ashene was actively involved in the School’s Science Congress, but also hosted the school staff Christian fellowship at his house and served as the fellowship chairman..
Mrs. Ashene on the other hand not only taught many female students home science, including taking them on school educational trips to food and textile factories, but she was also the first choice for being on the catering team when dignitaries would be visiting the school including Government Ministers.
She rose through the ranks to serve as a class teacher, a Head of Department, a house mistress, a guidance and counseling mistress and a Christian Union patron. The skills she imparted in the girls equipped them not just for professional jobs but also to be effective mothers bringing up healthy families.
In 1985, Mr. Ashene got promoted to the position of Deputy Headmaster and was posted to Musingu High School. He served there until 1990 when he got posted as Headmaster to Makhokho Secondary School. Under his leadership, a lot of physical infrastructure was developed including a dining hall, a dormitory, a staff house and modern ablution blocks. He also promoted sports, especially football, resulting in the school football team rising to respectable rankings. He was later posted to Musanda Secondary School in 1995 where he served diligently as headmaster until retirement in August 2001.
While Mr. Ashene was serving as Headmaster at Musingu High School, Mrs. Ashene was teaching English and Home science at Lirhembe Girls Secondary School. She later joined Mr. Ashene on staff at both Makhokho and Musanda Secondary School.
Apart from serving in the teaching profession, Mr. and Mrs. Ashene hosted many relatives so they could go to school, especially secondary school. They also helped to pay school fees for many of these relatives despite the few resources they had, as they knew the value of Education in helping one live a fulfilling life.
On retirement, Mr. and Mrs. Ashene served on the boards of management of schools such as Lunza, Shikunga and Muyundi Secondary schools. It is while serving on one of the Boards that the late Mr. Ashene identified a bright but financially needy student, Kevin in one of the schools, whom he then linked to the Africa Fund that assisted in paying his school fees. Mr. Ashene would at short notice respond to Kevin’s subsistence needs until he graduated with a degree in Education in the year 2021. Mrs. Ashene on the other hand, although well into her retirement, resiliently ensured her sister’s granddaughter was walked through school until she attained an O’ level certificate.
Mr. and Mrs. Ashene have been the inspiration for their two daughters and six sons studying to at least degree level in various disciplines including education, music, commerce, law and dental medicine. They made many sacrifices to ensure that the school fees for their sons and daughters was paid and that their subsistence needs were attended to all through their school and college studies because they knew well the value of education in helping to not only provide a prosperous life but also help one be a useful member of the community and contribute to the well being of society as a whole.
As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. The late Mr. Ashene and Mrs. Ashene proved this to be true by changing their part of the world for the better through diligently contributing to the education of many.