Visiting a school in Kenya is quality eco-tourism, despite what social media tells you

Eco-tourism UNICEF WASH program school toilets Samburu Kenya

The Ethics of School Visits in Kenya: Beyond the Social Media Narrative

Recently I read a post on Instagram that made mockery of school visits as part of eco-tourism in Africa. It insinuated that visiting a school was not ethical and we should “leave the children alone.” It also implied that “watching children was bad.”

When I read the post, initially I was shocked at how someone could post such statements. But then I remembered, this is social media.

Often people want a reaction and implying that tourists visiting a school in Kenya was like pillaging the town of its soul made for good clicks.

I would like to argue that visiting schools in Kenya is an excellent example of eco-tourism because you can lead by example. 

I met a school child who saw my camera and started discussing light with me. He was only young and I asked him what camera he had. He said he didn’t have a camera, but his dream was to be a photographer, and he was learning about camera lighting, from his cousins in the village who were working at the local lodges. His dream was to be a photographer and tour guide in the local village. 

This is not only a heart-warming story, but it also shows grit. Grit, that I am not sure the children I taught in schools over the past 16 years had. A raw determination to do better. 

But that is only one part of eco-tourism in Kenya. 

Have you heard of the STEP program that UNICEF has implemented under its WASH in Schools program?

Well, I visited that program in Samburu Kenya. I took these pictures showing the bathrooms and branding for the system.

How the UNICEF WASH Program Transforms Kenyan Schools

Feature of Kenya WASH Program	Impact on Student Health & Education
Gender Segregation	Provides privacy for girls to manage menstrual hygiene with dignity.
Daily Water Access	Large canisters ensure water is available for drainage and handwashing.
Sanitation Ratios	Replaces pit latrines with toilets to meet the 1:25 girl-to-toilet goal.
Educational Signage	Wall instructions promote English literacy and hygiene awareness.
Disease Prevention	Reduces hygiene-related illness, keeping children in the classroom.

What I thought was great was that 

1. There are toilets in schools and not holes in the ground. 

2. The WASH system improves both sanitation and hygiene for pupils and teachers, encouraging handwashing after using the bathroom

3. The bathrooms are segregated for boys and girls. This gives girls privacy in the bathroom to wash or change their reusable sanitary pads. 

4. Every toilet has a huge water canister next to it to ensure water for drainage and handwashing. 

5. The instructions on the walls encourage reading, the English language, and showcase the great work that UNICEF is doing in Kenya.

By visiting these schools, you can support the new toilets and ensure more of the pit latrines are replaced. Donations can be given online or at the school.

Now, if you did not visit the school, you might never have heard of these initiatives. 

Also, I have spoken before about Books for Schools and the initiatives that we do with the Community Wildlife Conservation charity. 

Support Sustainable Education During Your Kenya Safari

By going or spending time in the school and with the children, you can give them more reasons to study and improve or educate themselves. Girls who see women, pick up plastics for recycling, can do the same. You don’t only learn from books, but you also learn from doing. 

On top of that, with handwashing, picking up waste, and recycling initiatives, Kenya benefits from being clean. I have seen some very dirty places that, with education, can lead to less hygiene related death in Kenya. 

If we visit a school in Kenya, donate to WASH or UNICEF, and the CWC, then we can make a difference in Kenya.

If you are ready to see this impact first-hand, you can view the full breakdown of our 2026 women's ethical safari pricing and itineraries to start planning your journey. We would love to welcome you to our boutique safari homes at the Soroi Mara Bush Camp in the heart of the Mara or the rugged, authentic wilderness of Soroi Samburu Lodge. To dive deeper into the specific projects, you can also learn more about our long-standing partnership with the Community Wildlife Conservation charity.