Some 110 students from poor families in Murang'a have been reprieved after receiving scholarships for full secondary school education.
The majority of them were admitted to day secondary schools but stayed at home due to financial constraints as others joined Form 1.
But their salvation came when they were shortlisted by Irungu Nyakera Foundation, receiving a once-in-a-lifetime chance of accessing education without disruptions.
The foundation that was started by Kenya Medical Supplies Agency chairperson Irungu Nyakera in 2017 targeted learners who scored over 200 marks in their KCPE exam and are from poor families.
Orphans, those from single parent homes or with chronically ill parents were prioritised for the Sh10 million scholarship. They were identified by the foundation’s coordinators in the grassroots.
Mary Wanjiru, a parent from Mariira in Kigumo subcounty, was ecstatic after her son was shortlisted for the scholarship saying she had lost hope of enrolling him in a secondary school.
Wanjiru, a peasant, could not afford the fees required to enrol learners in Form 1 as she is a casual tea picker and barely earns enough to feed her family.
When she received information that her son would be a beneficiary, Wanjiru said she had sank into stressful thoughts and was sitting somewhere on a roadside pondering her next move.
“When I received the call informing me that my son had been picked, I just broke down and cried because I had no other means of educating him,” she said. Her son has now joined Mariira Secondary School.
For Ruth Njeri, a guardian, the high cost of living had made it impossible for her to collect sufficient funds to enrol her granddaughter at Iruri Secondary School in Mathioya.
“This is a major burden off my shoulders. I am happy that she will learn without being sent home for fees because I have another grandchild who sat for her KCSE last year and I am still unable to clear fees arrears,” she said.
Njeri said the scholarship will enable her to focus on looking for money and supporting the child to help her perform better.
While issuing the cheques, Nyakera said a batch of 350 beneficiaries who were in boarding schools completed secondary education last year, enabling the foundation to pick another group.
“Education is the future of any nation. The students will have their full fees paid and will benefit from a mentorship programme that will also help them integrate with their peers,” he said.
He confirmed that another group of Form 1 students will be shortlisted next year and called on Kenyans of goodwill to support needy students from their areas to help change their lives.
Born 40 years ago in Kiru, Mathioya constituency, Murang’a county, Nyakera grew up an orphan after is single mother passed away when he was eight years old, leaving him and his siblings under the care of grandparents.
His fortunes turned when he enrolled in the prestigious Starehe Boys Centre on full scholarship from Save the Children Fund Austria and Save the Children Fund British Columbia, Canada, setting him up to become a high-flying corporate executive and civil servant.
Maragua MP Mary Waithera lauded the initiative, saying many students were yet to join school due to lack of fees.
She said day schools have the neediest learners, many of whom receive admission letters from county or extra-county schools but are unable to join them due to poverty.
Her constituency fund has issued bursaries worth Sh46 million but was only able to cover about 60 per cent of applicants.
"This situation has been aggravated by the high cost of living that has made it difficult for parents to raise fees," Waithera said.