We started the year off in Kenya getting back to the normal pre-COVID three-semester system that runs from January to November for primary schools and to December for high schools. That was great news for our book-weary students who were forced through a system of four semesters in 2021 and 2022 with shorter holidays, more exams and less study time.
The change was good news for students. But for parents, and all of those of us who pay school fees, there was a shock in store as the government increased boarding fees in high schools by 20%! With a devastated post-COVID economy making it even harder to make a living right now, parents need support to keep their kids in school more than ever.
We are so proud of the 18 high school graduates from our Stay in School Project during 2022. We planned to replace those students in 2023 and increase our sponsorships to take on even more students this year. But it looked like these added costs would hold us back.
We are so grateful to all of our donors who enabled us to sponsor 23 more needy students this year. That puts us at a total of 51 learners in the program, as we continue to seek funds to sponsor more kids in future.
Our new candidates have all shown good performance in their academics and the only hindrance to continuing with their education, like their wealthier peers, is that they come from impoverished families who cannot afford the school fees and other costs. Being sponsored to stay in school means that they can focus on transforming their lives without the constant disruption of being sent home to wait for family members to come up with missing school fees.
Through our Stay in School Project, parents of our beneficiaries also gain financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills which empower them to start up or build up a home-based business, so that eventually they will provide for their other children on their own. A year of high school boarding fees at a standard public high school costs around $500 per year for one student. On top of that there are uniforms, textbooks and boarding supplies like mattress, blanket, toiletries, etc. To help us keep these kids in school through to their high school graduation, please consider a donation at www.Elimu.ca.