From Nambale: Reflections on Our School Visit

August 2026 – Board Treasurer Mark Thompson and Board President John Gill recently traveled to Nambale Magnet School (NMS) to see firsthand the community our sponsors support. Here is what they shared with us.

Reflections from Mark Thompson

Board Member & Treasurer, WIKS-USA

What Were My First Impressions

Having learned about the school from my wife Mary and daughter Becky, who have both visited NMS, it was important to visit and feel NMS for myself. The superb standardized test scores tell one part of the school’s story, and the other side is the energy, collaboration, joy, and curiosity of the students and staff which are contagious.

Comparing the NMS playing fields and buildings to the numerous other schools we drove by highlights the difference: grass fields versus dirt fields, and well-maintained buildings versus semi-maintained ones. NMS is a great place to live and learn!

What Touched My Heart

I have visited U.S. homes with dirt floors, no plumbing, and no electricity. Visiting the homes of two sponsored NMS learners seemed much more dire and desperate. The families were very thankful for the support and proud of the learners’ accomplishments. However, other children in the family may or may not be able to attend school.

Culturally, the sponsored learner is responsible for their own success in school and life, but they also take on expectations of responsibility for their siblings, parents, and other extended family members.

Thanks to NMS, Nambale Scholars, and others, there are NMS graduates who are doing all these things. I support WIKS-USA so that many more sponsored learners will follow.

— Mark Thompson, Board Treasurer

NMS Visit Takeaways from John Gill

President, WIKS-USA Board of Directors

I continue to marvel at the vibrancy of NMS and its ongoing development. There is always something new — including the dedication of a new basketball court, the massive expansion of the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) project, progress on the new soccer pitch, and enhanced enthusiasm for the CBC curriculum from both students and teachers.
I was pleased to note the growing contribution of the NMS farm as a center of excellence within the broader community, providing welcome best-practices learning opportunities for local farmers as well as serving as a venue for university and technical school practicums.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the expressions and listening to the comments of the six first-time visitors to NMS. It added a whole new dimension to their understanding and reinforced their already positive view of NMS and its mission.

— John Gill, Board President

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