Calum Kinloch of KEP was interviewed by Ben Richardson

What is your society about?

We work with rural secondary schools in the Kisii region of Kenya in order to improve the quality of education they provide their students. Instead of teaching, we act in the schools’ long-term interest by directly intervening in how they are run.

What problems do you encounter and how do you sort them out?

Our organisation provides sustainable resources which confer a lasting benefit to the school. For example, we ensure enough text-books are provided; this discourages the teacher (often the only one with a copy) dictating to the class and stifling student interaction. This also enables children to be given homework and have the opportunity to learn in their own time. More recently, we have helped set up systems in order to make the best use of school resources – it’s no use having books if they are locked away in a library, unable to be read. Or having no science practicals when they form an integral part of the curriculum.

As one of Africa’s most corrupt countries, cases of staff embezzlement are not uncommon and we carefully screen schools to make sure that money goes to where it is needed. The teachers themselves are often under-qualified and privately paid; by the end of our partnership with a school there is a far higher number of cheaper state-funded and trained teachers.

Is there much student interaction?

Although we do not teach, providing counselling and careers advice to students is of great importance. Since many children have unrealistic aspirations, often claiming they want to be doctors, we provide more down-to-earth careers advice, with goals they can actively aim towards.

We also help to dispel the often patriarchal nature of Kenyan culture by reinforcing gender equality, encouraging female learning and providing health education - pregnancy is a common reason for girls leaving school early. Simple methods can reinforce this: for instance, in one school, a boy’s netball team was set up with great success.

Why Kenya and not a different country?

Logistically, Kenya is both easily accessible and politically stable, but Kenyan society can often make the education system available a mess and in need of support. As an example, in order to progress to the next year, students must pass an exam which many students repeated fail. As a consequence, some students are in their mid-twenties, learning little new material and repeating years up to ten times over.

Is all the effort worthwhile?

Yes. Living in a Kenyan community with only one other person from a similar background, in fairly basic conditions, may sound daunting, but the warmth and enthusiasm of those around you is unbelievable. Having the chance to return to a school you have previously worked with and seeing improved performance, both academically and in general – largely due to your own efforts – is an incredibly fulfilling experience.

How do you join?

Our society spans Cambridge, Oxford and UCL and we expect to take roughly eight students from each university every year. After an initial application, shortlisted candidates will be invited to a friendly interview. Successful candidates will travel to Kenya for roughly ten weeks in the summer.

Visit www.kep.org.uk for more information. Recruiting starts now and ends at the end of October.