RVIST TVET Teachers Receive Global Awards
A team of senior educationists from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes in Kenya have received two global awards in recognition of their contributions to sustainable development and technical education.
Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) was the recipient of a gold medal from the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) in the category of leadership and inclusivity.
Meanwhile, Dr. Daniel Mutai, former principal of RVIST, received a silver medal in the lifetime achievement category.
The awards ceremony took place in Montreal, Canada, where RVIST was also awarded a gold medal in the Sustainable Development Goals category.
Zimbabwe’s Harare National Polytechnic and Australia’s Technical and Further Education institute were awarded silver and bronze respectively.
The Nairobi Technical Training Institute received a bronze medal under the Applied Research and Innovation Award, while the Kenya School of TVET received the same medal under the Teacher Professional Development category.
In a statement to the press after returning to Kenya, Mr. Sammy Chemoiwo, the current principal of RVIST, attributed the recognition to the college’s efforts to impart skills and knowledge to students on climate change mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy.
RVIST has been focusing on 13 Sustainable Development Goals, running programs both within and outside the institute on clean environments, food nutrition and security, climate change, and youth empowerment, among others.
2 Kenyan Dons, 3 TVETs Clinch Prestigious Global Awards at WFCP 2023
The institute, which was established over four decades ago, trains students from marginalized communities to identify seeds and trees that can be planted in their regions.
RVIST facilitates the students’ access to these seedlings, which they take back to their homes. The goal is for them to actively contribute to transforming their own areas.
On sustainable energy, the college has partnered with Geothermal Development Company and Triple X, among others, to leverage the value of renewable energy.
RVIST’s staff and students are working on innovations such as solar irrigation and other climate-smart agricultural practices to address the effects of climate change.
Chemoiwo emphasized the need for public and private institutions to partner with community-based organizations to step up efforts to address the negative effects of climate change.
“As learning and research institutions, we have a duty to lead our communities and promote awareness of climate change mitigation strategies. Our world today is at great risk,” he said.
Dr. Mutai emphasized the significance of TVET institutions to the current global job market, saying that the recognition is evidence of the positive impact they make.
“These awards tell the world that Kenya has great TVETs that are churning out the right human resources for the global trends in technological shift,” he said.
There is a need for continued collaboration and competition among TVET institutes from around the world to foster creativity and innovation, especially among the youth.
TVETs are today centers of excellence for what they are bringing to the world. They give our youth, who are faced with ever-evolving challenges, an opportunity to use their talents for the public good,“ said Mutai.
Last year, Mutai received a bronze award from WFCP in the Leadership and Inclusivity category at a ceremony held in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain. He has vowed to use this award to impact society.
RVIST TVET Teachers Receive Global Awards
