By Obegi Malack
Kenya Education Fund (KEF) has mentored 118 students from all over the country who completed high school through sponsorship of KEF.ย
The non-governmental organization founder and country director Dominic Muasya said the training was important for the scholars; they were taken through career related topics.
The one week workshop held in African Nazarene University was about transition from high school to university.
They benefited from mentorship, life skills, career readiness, skills outside schools system; this makes them perform well in examinations and in life outside school for those who did not qualify to join universities.
The mentors were 14 volunteers who are KEF alumni. KEF offered to pay first year university fees for all the scholars.
KEF Alumni Association is also sponsoring two students in high school.
One of the beneficiaries of the sponsorship who participated in the workshop is John Kilowua who scored a B- from Loitoktok Boys; the NGO paid his school fees from form one to four.
Kilowua said he nearly dropped out of school since he is from a less privileged family; his mother was not able to raise school fees for his secondary education.
KEF Board Chair Dr Grace Waiharo challenged the students to represent the NGO by performing well to keep sponsors motivated and also joining the alumni association to keep less privileged students.
She said there is need for more resources to keep children from poor families in school, this year they sponsored 160 students out of 4,400 applicants.
In this yearโs KCSE 78% of the sponsored students scored a c+ and above which is a direct entry to university.
KEF sponsor students from families with financial challenges and they support them through four year sponsorship 3,732 students have gone through the program since KEF was launched 15 years ago.