By Clifford Akumu
Nairobi, Kenya: Prudence Foundation has signed a Kshs 10 million partnership with the Kenya Education Fund(KEF) to provide free high school education to 85 disadvantaged students across the country.
The partnership aims to provide a financial cushion to families who have suffered a loss of income and are unable to pay school fees for their children, due to the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since its outbreak two years ago, Covid-19 has disrupted education not only in Kenya but also globally, with vulnerable learners from disadvantaged backgrounds being the worst hit.
The covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the future productivity and well-being of this generation of children and youth.
Gwen Kinisu, Prudential Life Assurance Chief Executive Officer said the funds will be invested in cushioning families who have suffered a loss of income due to Covid-19 and are unable to take care of the educational needs of their children.
“Students will not only get a financial gain in terms of paid school fees but also essential life and social skills to help them become all-rounded people in the society, this is because we believe that education is the foundation for all forms of development and a catalyst for growth and success in life,” Mrs. Kinisu said speaking during the handing over ceremony.
Mrs. Kinisu added that Prudential Kenya has been working closely with the Kenya Education Fund to support the education of financially disadvantaged high school students from all over the country over the last eight years.
The foundation has supported educational programs and projects focused on allowing vulnerable children access to quality education, she added.
“Sponsored students will not only get a financial gain in terms of paid school fees but also essential life and social skills to help them become all-rounded people in the society,” added Mrs. Kinisu.
Appreciating the donation, Dominic Muasya, KEF Country Director said: “We are very lucky to have found partners like Prudential who have been generous not only in giving money but also an opportunity to interact with staff members and other partners of Prudential who come to share their experiences and knowledge with our scholars. This has made the scholarship with KEF a very unique one.”
Muasya noted that the impact the funding will have is bigger than just giving a scholarship to the 85 students, adding that it has a trickle-down effect on the student’s families and will go a long way in improving their lives.
Habiba Mohammed, 22, a third-year journalism student at Multimedia University in Kenya and a beneficiary of the scholarship explains, “
“If I had not gotten this scholarship, I would probably be married by now like the rest of the girls in my village who get married at an early age,” narrates an elated Habiba Mohammed from Wajir County.
She says most girls do not get a chance to advance their education either due to lack of fees or cultural beliefs.
“At 22 years, I would be having five children right now,” she states jokingly, adding that about 99% of her age mates whether they reached secondary level or not are already married.
Of the 4,407 applications that KEF received from disadvantaged students in 2021 across the country-the highest number of applications in the last 15 years, only 160 students received high school scholarships.
Last year Prudential Kenya joined forces with KEF in printing and distributing over 16,000 learning materials countrywide during the Covid-19 lockdown. At the same time over 6,000 female students received sanitary towels.
