The selection of the 2021 Wings To Fly beneficiaries has kicked off. The program is run in a partnership between Equity Bank Foundation, Mastercard Foundation, and the German Government through KfW. KfW is a German state-owned investment and development bank, based in Frankfurt.
Additionally, a similar process has started for the 2021 Elimu scholarship program, a flagship program sponsored by the World Bank and the Ministry of Education and implemented through EGF. The two programs will offer a combined total of 10,500 scholarships to academically promising scholars from needy backgrounds who sat and excelled in the 2020 KCPE examinations.
The selected Wings to Fly scholars will form the twelfth cohort and will join a total of 17,304 scholars who have benefitted from comprehensive scholarships offered through the program while the successful Elimu scholars will form the second cohort and will join the existing 9,000 scholars who were commissioned last year. This brings the total scholarships so far implemented by EGF to 36,804.
Academically promising 2020 KCPE finalists from all 47 counties who scored a minimum of 350 marks and who come from needy backgrounds can apply for the 2021 Wings to Fly scholarships by logging on to https://egfdmis.equitybank.co.ke/register_w2f to create a new account on the Wings to Fly portal and fill in the 2021 application form for consideration.
2020 KCPE finalists from financially challenged backgrounds who sat their examinations at public primary schools and scored a minimum of 280 marks can make applications for the 2020/2021 Elimu scholarships by logging on to https://egfdmis.equitybank.co.ke/register_elimu. Create a new account on the Elimu portal and fill in the 2020/2021 application form for consideration. Candidates who are from vulnerable and marginalized communities and those with special needs and disabilities who attained below 280 marks may be considered.
For both scholarship programs, scholars, guardians and parents who are unable to access the forms on the portal can get physical scholarship application forms at their nearest Equity branch or Equity Agent and must submit these for consideration on or before 31st May 2021.
The deadline for all scholarship application is 31st May 2021 whether submitted through the application portals or through Equity bank branches or Equity Agents.
The submission deadline of 31st May 2021 will allow the Wings to Fly Community Scholarship Selection Board (CSSB) in all 47 counties and the Elimu Community Scholarship Advisory Committee (CSAC) in each of the 110 sub counties and 15 urban centres ample time to review and scrutinize the applications as well as conduct face to face interviews and assessments before awarding the most deserving scholars the scholarship opportunities.
The CSSB comprises of relevant key personalities in the community and is chaired by the Sub-County Director of Education and coordinated by Equity Bank Branch Manager while the CSAC comprises of relevant key personalities in the community and will be chaired by the Deputy County Commissioner and coordinated by Equity Branch Manager.