A non-profit organisation has come up with an innovative way to ease the burden needy parents are facing while seeking school admissions, particularly for those with students joining form one.
In a partnership with the ministry of education, TiJi Foundation will buy school uniforms and all other items required by secondary schools on behalf of needy students countrywide.
The schools will then accept the students and recover the costs of the items in instalments.
The Foundation's director Timothy Odende on Monday announced that the initiative targets 1.3 million form one needy student.
The would-be beneficiaries will be identified by the schools.
Most parents, he said require at least Sh 50,000 to purchase items that include uniforms and mandatory items like dictionaries, log-tables, atlas, bibles, and boxes amongst other items that students must avail before paying school fees.
This, he noted puts immense pressure on most parents, particularly those that are poor and can ill afford even the basic requirements given the prevailing harsh economic times.
"Instead of the parents having to meet the cost of these items immediately, we will provide what the students need immediately as they join form one but their parents can then pay later through schools," he said.
"It means they will have been relieved of the financial stress that comes with admission demands. We provide the uniforms and other items to those who can't afford them so that they don't miss the opportunity to join form one and the school can recover this cost on behalf of the ministry in a staggered way from parents," he said.
Odende said the Tiji Foundation has already assembled banks such as Stanbic, KCB and SBM Bank that will act as underwriters for the initiative that will cost Sh 18 billion to be implemented.
He disclosed that the Foundation is also in discussion with Safaricom Foundation for a possible partnership towards the initiative.
The Foundation which gave Sh 10 million to various schools in the Gem constituency last year to clear third-term fees for needy students has outsourced the services of Wadi holdings to buy and distribute the uniforms to schools across the country.
"Our representatives met the education CS Ezekiel Machogu on Monday and we have the green light to roll out this ambitious program that will offer a relief off the shoulders of the parents," he said.
"We ask any parent out there that is unable to buy uniform and other school items needed for their sons and daughters joining form one to get in touch with us," he said during a press conference in Gem yesterday.
According to the Foundation's director, Wadi holdings will buy the uniforms from EPZ and other uniforms stockists countrywide and distribute the same to needy students in their respective schools.
"He gave Wadi holdings limited the contract to supply shirts and blouses, trousers and skirts, socks, tracksuits shoes, mattresses, blankets, bedsheets box, Kamusi, Dictionary, atlas, and calculators to each needy student transiting from class eight to form one," he said.
"During the meeting with the CS, our representatives asked the minister of education to give a circular to principals allowing those who can't afford the items to be given time as we make arrangements to deliver the uniforms," he said.
"We have assembled a massive logistical arrangement that will enable the uniforms distributed to all schools," he said.
Odende noted that the Foundation would have started the distribution before the schools admitted form ones but they had to wait for the ministry to give them the go-ahead.
He said the initiative was a stop-gap measure but as a long-term plan, the foundation will work with cotton farmers in the country to convert cotton into fabric which can then be used in uniform production.
"We will work with cotton-growing counties in the country to revive the industry and make cotton growing a viable venture that gives good returns to those who invest in it," he said.
Most schools began receiving form one students on Monday.
The admissions will go on up to February 11 according to the ministry's directive to schools.
