Education Sponsorship – Educating Kibera’s Children
Educating the future of Kibera.
Today, Women For Women In Africa helps with education in a number of ways. This includes the complete funding of over 70 children for their primary education and for over 120 children for their secondary education – many of whom are orphans.
For years, WFWIA has invoiced our students’ sponsors as little as possible to provide this. This covered the costs for their uniform, shoes, books, stationery, any necessary medical and dental treatment, lunch for those at day schools, transport to and from school and boarding fees for those who attend boarding school. From 2017, this school fee rises to $1,250 a year for primary and secondary school students.
Unfortunately, costs for education in Kenya increase each year. Most schools have added extra fees for specialist education, compulsory extras & excursions, computer labs and especially, much higher teacher salaries.
Boarding schools provide the best education opportunity. They are a safe haven, away from the violence, abuse and rape that is so prevalent in Kibera. There’s a warm bed in which to sleep, 3 meals a day, toilet facilities and electricity so they can continue to study when the sun’s gone down. Not only do they get a vital education, but they become aware of the opportunities that are out there – opportunities they can strive to achieve through education.
Still others are helped in smaller, but no less important, manner. We might provide just 2 or 3 elements to help with their education – such as paying for lunch, uniform or school books (this is a prerequisite to attend school).
Post-Secondary Education and Opportunities.
Those who gain the necessary exam results in their high school exams (KCSE) can, in some cases, gain government funding to attend university. This is paid back at a later date when they enter employment.
However, this funding is few and far between, and every child wants to continue their education.
University and college education is expensive, and many of our students have successfully undertaken or are undertaking courses with the ongoing support of their sponsors. These courses range from short Certificate courses to Diplomas and Degrees. We now have a nurse undertaking a post-graduate diploma course. Fantastic!
Thanks to a very generous bequest, we now have another way to help our students after they finish secondary school. It is the Erica Hammond Scholarship Fund. This fund is designed for students to undertake short courses to gain extra skills to compete in the work marketplace such as computer skills or becoming a nursing attendant. There are conditions for approval but it’s a great way for the students to up-skill.
But even for those who can’t go onto university, high school education provides so much;
- The exposure to a better life instils a further spirit of determination to get out of Kibera;
- Many seek and gain employment;
- Others learn skills such as catering, hairdressing, nursing and business studies or other manual labour. Finding a job such as this often means a person can fund themselves through university.
High school education opens their eyes to the opportunities that exist.
The Erica Hammond Scholarship Fund
The fund is named in memory of Erica Hammond who always had a passion for education. The fund was created by Erica’s relatives to assist students from Kibera to undertake short post-secondary courses.
The fund welcomes contributions from any other donor wishing to donate to this fund assisting students to gain meaningful employment. The greater the funding, the larger the number of student beneficiaries. To donate, simply mark your donation for the “EH Fund”.
AIM
To assist students from Kibera slum in Nairobi under the care of Wanawake Kwa Wanawake and Women for Women in Africa to gain access to post-secondary short courses which they are unable to fund themselves or through other sponsorships. The desire is to improve the possibilities of gaining meaningful employment for those students. Our students have undertaken computer courses, nursing assistant courses and hairdressing.
SELECTION METHOD
Students must:
1. Have no current sponsor;
2. Have completed their secondary education; and
3. Wish to undertake a short vocational course to improve their chance of gaining meaningful employment.
Erica Hammond
Sponsor a Child
All of our students require a sponsor to attend a good school. To sponsor one of our unsponsored students, click Sponsor me
