Nomad issue #26

@pembroke_house_school
What do an international rugby player and an emotional intelligence strategist have
in common? The answer is that they both went to Pembroke House School, a small
boarding preparatory school in the Rift Valley, Kenya.
Toby Francombe and Nandi Kegode are two alumni of the 90 year old school, both
from very different backgrounds and with very different jobs and aspirations.
“I don’t think I would be the person I am today, if it weren’t for Pembroke”, Nandi
waxed lyrical about her time at school. Nandi is an emotional intelligence and cultural
strategy consultant with her own business, Hisia Intel Solutions. “By the time I left, I was
more adventurous, with a strong identity of self and a can-do attitude, which made me
more resilient [during the tougher times of her teens and early adulthood]”. Pembroke
allows children to be children – to run around in the mud, make dens, climb trees and
appreciate the natural beauty of the Kenyan countryside – but [it] also helps to give
them confidence and character; don’t ever underestimate what kids can do”, Nandi
said. “We were taught manners and we are able to talk to anyone, of any class or
creed. International schools appreciated that; Pembrokians were renowned for being
reliable team members”.
“Pembrokians have such a strong bond – the Pembroke Spirit – and race or colour has
no place in that. I have had people come up to me recently to say “hi”, who were
five years old when I was in the upper school, asking “Do you remember me?”. The
friendships that you make when you are there are still friendships now- and you pick
up exactly where you left off, no matter how much time has passed… My favourite
memories were in the dorms, sharing tuck, talking after lights out and on the sports field,
with hours dedicated to sports”.
Toby Francombe is an international rugby player and was selected to play the position
of hooker in the 2019 Kenyan Rugby Union team. He is now in Scotland, playing for the
Boroughmuir Bears in Edinburgh. Toby went to board at Pembroke aged six, because
his father went there but also because they lived near the Maasai Mara and there were
no schools in the area. When asked about Pembroke’s strengths, Toby said, “Pembroke
was a caring school – when I first arrived, I was shy and hadn’t really spent time with
lots of other kids. The older kids really looked after the younger ones… The other thing
that I think also helped me was the manners Pembroke taught us – I am grateful for that
as this training has stood me in good stead and gave me the confidence to meet new
people and travel to new places. The opportunities to play sport were also phenomenal
and my passion for rugby was spurred on by the dedication of the coaches there”.
Toby also spoke warmly about the friendships he had made at Pembroke. “Boarding
made for much stronger friendships because we spent every minute of every day
together. There was so much time after school for us to play and do sport and get to
know each other. Everyone looked after everyone else and we had a special bond that
we still have today”.
Tel: 0708 143 600, Email: registrar@pembrokehouse.sc.ke