NAIROBI, July 12 (Xinhua) -- With his eyes gazing in the skies, George Kanaiza steered a drone across a sprawling maize plantation, the elaborate unmanned vehicle moved up and down releasing a solution of pesticide onto the crops that were flourishing on the surface.
Kanaiza is a final year university student who has taken up to spraying people's farms using a modified drone in his hometown of Kitale, located about 395 kilometers northwest of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
His venture was informed by the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic that left him idle.
"Being away from school has had dire implications but I resolved to tap into the positive opportunities that life presented to me. Aerial spraying of pesticides using drones looked very appealing given it is a nascent technology in the rural area," Kanaiza said.
He joins the statistics of learners in the country faced with the stark reality of a lost 2020 academic year.
Many students have been rendered idle and although some like him are harnessing the opportunity away from school to engage in income-generating activities, others sit at home doing nothing constructive.
"The number of people seeking the service has grown tremendously over the months because of the novelty of the technology. Farmers want to test the efficiency of the drone on their farms," said Kanaiza.
He said the drone has become a favorite for residents because they can witness the mixing of chemicals before spraying commences as opposed to aircrafts which mixed the pesticides in a remote area.
Kanaiza said that operating the drones has kept him physically and mentally healthy at a time of huge disruptions linked to COVID-19 pandemic.
"By operating the drones, I have been able to preserve my mental health and contribute positively towards my community," said Kanaiza.
He said that he learnt how to maneuver the unmanned vehicle by interacting with a technical team well versed in its operations.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that Kenya will soon become one of the countries to test its approved drones for locust surveillance.
"From a scientific perspective, crises like this offer an opportunity to test new ideas and technologies and see how they can be used to manage pests," said Keith Cressman, senior locust focusing officer at FAO.
Back in Kitale, Kanaiza hopes to pursue farming convinced that it would provide him with a stable income.
Last week, the 2020 academic year was declared lost, a consensus reached by education sector stakeholders in Kenya thanks to rising COVID-19 cases.
"Faced with this uncertain environment, stakeholders have resolved to reopen all basic institutions in January 2021. This is based on the assumption that the curve will have flattened or we shall have known a lot more of this virus," said George Magoha, cabinet secretary for education.
The announcement, which is seemingly well informed and aimed at protecting children from contracting COVID-19, is predicted to have significant ramifications to learners and parents across the board.
James Ole Kiyiapi, former education permanent secretary, emphasized during an interview that education does not take place in the confines of a classroom alone and that understanding the challenges of life is part of learning.
"Parents and guardians should help children realize that education is not just being in class and being taught by a teacher that even understanding the challenges of life is a bigger education than perhaps what can be learned in class," said Kiyiapi.
Nzivo Mwangi, a senior high school student in Nairobi, started selling music compilation to public vehicle services (matatus) in a bid to keep himself occupied and beat boredom.
"The silver lining brought by the disruption of education is that I can pursue music which has always been close to my heart," said Mwangi.
He said that through his new undertaking, he has attained some level of independence even as his parents remain his primary breadwinner.
"I can afford to move around and buy myself fashionable clothes out of the proceeds of my business. The business has brought me gratification, "said Mwangi.
Mary Kamene Musembi, an office administrator and mother of one, said that parents should take advantage of the prolonged school closure to bond with their children. Enditem
