Acronis and Gridheart celebrate opening of new learning facility bringing digital access to Kibisi, Kenya

On 28 November 2025, Friends Secondary School Kibisi in Namboko, Mbakalo Ward, marked a transformative milestone with the festive opening of a new multipurpose resource centre. The building, funded by Acronis, Gridheart, Almom, BloxIT, Complete Solutions, Desknet Datateknik, Gibon, Mirva, Intime IT, IT-verket, Thalamus, Torntec and Sölvesborg Data, brings long-awaited relief to a school that has spent years operating without the fundamental facilities needed for modern learning.

With more than 1,200 students, the institution has long battled significant infrastructure challenges. The school lacked a meeting hall, a library and a computer lab, leaving students and teachers to hold assemblies, mentorship sessions, chapel services, debating events, examinations and parent–teacher meetings outdoors under a large tree. While this outdoor setting has been part of the school’s daily reality, it exposed learners to heat, rain and noise, making structured academic activities and digital learning nearly impossible. School Principal Edward Wanjala emphasized how disruptive the previous outdoor setting was and expressed gratitude for the protection, structure and opportunity the new building brings to students.

The recent completion of the new resource centre has dramatically reshaped this environment. The impact of the new facility extends beyond Friends Secondary School Kibisi. Because the school borders Kibisi Primary School — another institution facing infrastructure shortages — the new building will also be shared when available, providing younger learners with improved study spaces and early digital exposure.

With the centre now operational, teachers anticipate strengthened classroom management, a renewed reading culture and the ability to deliver structured ICT lessons that were previously out of reach.

The opening ceremony brought together students, teachers, parents, local leaders and representatives from Acronis and Gridheart. The local community extended warm hospitality, guiding the guests through the school facilities, the newly opened resource centre and the nearby premises of Core Health and Wealth International, the local NGO that implemented the project. During the visit, the NGO team showcased the many ways they support families in the area. They introduced the visitors to their community garden, where vegetables are grown to supplement local nutrition, and demonstrated how mothers use the organization’s sewing machines to make clothes for their families and to generate income through small-scale sales.

Acronis and Gridheart also hosted an engaging cyber safety game for the students. The activity introduced learners to the basics of online safety, responsible device use and protecting personal information — crucial knowledge as the school begins integrating digital tools into everyday learning for the first time.

We are deeply grateful to all the partners who made this project possible, and we wish the students great achievements, bright futures and the opportunity to fully unlock their potential within the improved educational facilities.

Acronis Cyber Foundation Program welcomes individuals, groups, and companies to partner with us to work side-by-side with underserved communities to bring them hope through education.