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Serena inaugurates second Kenyan school

posted by Pretty Tough | Girls Who Are Fun Fierce & Feminine
Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 2:16pm CST

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Always a trailblazer. Always doing good things. Always going the extra miles.

Just over a year after visiting Kenya to open the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya, Serena Williams returned to the country to follow up on her humanitarian efforts. Williams arrived on February 22 for a three day charity mission where she will inaugurate the Wee Secondary School in Makueni, Eastern Province, Kenya.

The new school lies roughly 50 kilometers from the first one. While in the country, Williams will follow up on the progress of the Matooni school and will hold a tennis teaching session with the students at both schools.

Williams has partnered with technology giant Hewlett Packard and the Build African Schools initiative. She is a global ambassador for the firm and has also worked with the Starfishgreatheart Charity for orphans in South Africa.

Check out pics from Serena’s visit to Kenya in the photo gallery.

Hewlett Packard will equip the school with computers, printers and internet connectivity, while facilitating the training of the local teachers and students.

Ken Mbwaya, Hewlett Packard’s managing director for East Africa, said: “As our ambassador, Serena was touched by the plight of children from these areas. This has made many keen to learn, even with daily challenges and limitations. Education is the best platform to invest in as it empowers whole communities.

“Sixty-two percent of Kenyans live in absolute poverty, which means that some very bright children are hindered from achieving their potential. This is an actual impediment to the realization of Vision 2030 and we need to tackle this before we seek IT penetration into rural Kenya. Education is the best platform to invest in as it empowers whole communities.

(via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)