Shares

The Rhino Cement Foundation was established in October 2010 as a charity funded by ARM Cement LTD. The Foundation’s mission is to promote social investments in health, education and environment projects that have a lasting impact and increase the well being of our communities and lead to increase in the wealth creation in our country.

Rhino Cement Foundation three main pillars targeted at leaving a long term impact in the community: Health, education, environment.

One way that it is helping change things in the environment is through the Ngong Forest Sanctuary.

Ngong forest Sanctuary is one of the very few forests in the world that exists within a city. It covers an area of 538 hectares. It was created at a time when tracts of land in Nairobi were being grabbed up while others were succumbing to development pressures. The Sanctuary was established in 1993 and has now been fenced off and is home to over 120 bird species, over 35 mammals and numerous insects, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

RCF, together with other partners, constructed the education centre at the sanctuary which is used as a resource centre for disseminating information through screening of educative conservation based movies to schools, tertiary colleges, universities, the local community, visitors and Nairobi residents at large. The Education Centre has a 100-sitter auditorium, an office and an orientation Banda.

The education centre is a valuable resource in educating school children on the importance of trees and conserving the environment. RCF also caters for the salaries of the full time teacher and is now looking to facilitate more student visits to the facility.

In the Kaloleni area where the ARM Cement factory is located, there has been a need for a well equipped hospital where residents can acquire good, affordable healthcare. It is in this light that the Rhino Cement Foundation has put up the Mzee Paunrana clinic. The clinic is named Mzee Paunrana clinic after the late founder of ARM Cement LTD.

The clinic is located at the gates of the ARM Cement Kaloleni factory and has a full time qualified staff of Laboratory technician, Clinical officer, Registered Nurse, and Nurse Aiders.

Patients visiting the clinic for treatment are charged Ksh150 which caters for consultation with the doctor, lab tests, drugs, small surgeries and treatments, and any other service required. If any further, major, treatment is required, the patient will be referred to the larger referral hospitals.

The Ksh 150 payment made by patients is a cost subsidized by the Rhino Cement Foundation, which then caters for maintenance needed for the clinic. The foundation covers costs related to equipping the clinic, restocking the pharmacy and any other maintenance needs required by the clinic. It also caters for salaries for the clinic staff.

This clinic sees an average of 40 patients a day, most of who are from the neighbouring areas. Staff from the factory can also seek treatment at the clinic.