Few things are as disheartening for parents and for society as a whole to see a bright kid being unable to pursue their education due to lack of school fees to proceed. A lot of parents are able to take their children through primary education but when it comes to secondary school, try as they may they just can’t support the kid any more. That must feel really really sad especially when the child in question is very bright and one can see that a bright future is going to waste.
It is very understandable why parents would be unable to see their children through secondary school. Research shows that Kenya has one of the most expensive secondary education systems in Africa. For example, school fees for national and county schools range from Kshs.45,000/- to Kshs.136,000/- per year. This is certainly way out of reach for many parents.
Several organizations have thankfully taken up this challenge to make sure that these bright kids who pass their primary school exams do not stall there. One of those organizations is Kenya Commercial Bank which has set aside Kshs.100 Million to sponsor 240 needy children who sat their 2015 KCPE exams throughout their secondary education. The scholarships offered will cover tuition fees, uniforms, learning materials and mentorship activities for the four-year period. What a relief to the parents and families of these kids and the kids themselves! KCB is already supporting 800 children in secondary schools.
Pupils with disabilities are not left behind either as the next set of awardees will have 40 positions reserved for them.
So what are the requirements to qualify for the scholarships?
- One must come from a needy background
- One should have met the cut-off mark set for each county
- One must have qualified for admission to either a public national or county secondary school
How does one apply?
- Pick application forms from any KCB branch across the country
- Fill it and attach the KCPE result slip
- Attach a letter of admission to a national or county school
- Present this set of documents during interviews to be conducted in the third week of January across all counties.
Applicants must be from public schools. Additional information on this program can be found from any KCB branch countrywide.
Kenya needs these bright kids as much if not more than it needs other people. We need to nurture kids early enough as we move towards building the next pool of skills that will carry our economic expansion dream.