Family Group Foundation has committed to spend Ksh40 million on scholarships for students from needy backgrounds joining form 1 this year.
The funds, channelled through the Family Group Foundation High School Scholarship Program, will benefit 220 students from 14 priority counties to access secondary school education. The minimum entry point to the scholarship will be 350 marks attained in the 2021 KCPE exams. The scholarships will cater for both tuition and upkeep for the beneficiaries.
“Once again, we are glad to be able to step in the gap for students from needy backgrounds to be able to access secondary school education by fully sponsoring them through this scholarship program. The past three years, in particular, have been tough on families with many losing their livelihoods due to the COVID pandemic and the impact is that many will not be able to pay fees for their children hence the dire need for this support,” said Family Bank CEO Rebecca Mbithi.
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According to data from the Ministry of Education, a total of 1,225,693 pupils enrolled for the 2021 KCPE exams. However, in the past four years, nearly 200,000 pupils who have sat for the KCPE examinations failed to proceed to secondary schools mostly due to poverty-related reasons.
“As a foundation, it is a delight to continue expanding this programme’s kitty and offering opportunities of wholistic growth by equipping these students with academic, career and life skills. We are commitment to providing long term sustainability and positively transforming communities around us,” she concluded
The counties that will benefit include Bomet, Bungoma, Kisumu, Kajiado, Kiambu, Laikipia and Mombasa. The others are Meru, Muranga, Makueni, Nyeri, Nakuru, Nyandarua and Uasin Gishu.
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Family Group Foundation Executive Director John Waimiri revealed that the beneficiaries will be primarily selected, interviewed and recruited through a participatory approach involving a County-based Scholarship Selection Panel. The panels comprise of representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior, County Government and Children’s Services Department. The panel will also have representatives from Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KSSHA), Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association (KEPSHA) and faith-based leaders in the counties.
To date, the Foundation has invested over KES 200 million in the education sector through scholarships to over 800 students and through the continued support towards inclusive education for children living with autism.
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