The Elimu Kenya Scholarship Fund (Elimu Fund) is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organiztion that seeks contributions from individuals, groups, corporations, and foundations with the goal of providing hope, opportunity, and access to education through scholarships to Kenyan students and orphans with financial needs who display academic excellence and a desire to make a meaningful contribution to society.  The Elimu Fund was officially launched on July 23, 2005.

Mission

The mission of the Elimu Fund is to create a scholarship fund to help intelligent Kenyan students with limited financial resources to pursue and successfully complete secondary education.  To be considered for the scholarship, the applicant must have completed the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in the preceding year with a minimum grade of "B" and must be in the top 10% of his or her class.  The recipient must have received admission to a public or private secondary school that is recognized as such by the Ministry of Education in Kenya.   The scholarship, in most cases, will cover 100% of the tuition, dormitory room and board (where applicable), and other associated costs, such as books, uniforms, travel, and a monthly stipend.

The Challenge We Face

Kenya is going through an important political and economic transition.  Under the “Free Primary Education” policy, started in 2003, school fees and levies were abolished at the primary school level, relieving the household burden of financing primary education.   Households, and public and private schools, responded immediately. The primary education gross enrollment rate jumped over 100%, with a student enrollment increase of close to 1 million from the previous year.

The growth and increased participation at the primary level of education has increased the demand for secondary education. Many of the students come from families that have been affected by AIDS, as well as poverty.  They have successfully completed primary education, but remain without the financial means to continue on to secondary school. Kenya has 1.5 to 1.7 million children who have been orphaned due to AIDS.  HIV/AIDS is eroding the family and community capacity to meet the needs of orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC), including economic and food security, education, nutrition, health, and emotional well-being. The number of OVC is expected to continue to rise for the foreseeable future. The Elimu Fund will provide opportunities to children who seek to overcome their difficult circumstances through education in a manner consistent with Kenyan societal values, and government policies and guidelines.

Breaking the Cycle of Under-Education Among Kenyan Youth

We believe there are two key obstacles that make access to secondary education more difficult for poor Kenyan youth.  First, secondary school tuition and related costs continue to skyrocket; the financial resources needed to support a secondary education constitute the most serious challenge for many Kenyan families.  Indeed many committed parents lack the resources to finance their children's education.  Second, the public resources available are inadequate to meet the growing demand.

Sources of the Elimu Fund

All of the Elimu fund scholarships will be raised from concerned individuals, groups, corporations, foundations, and others who share the view that many local and national challenges for Kenyans can be addressed through investing in young people who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and wish to build their own futures through education.

In addition to the millions of Americans and Europeans with a keen interest in the future of Kenya, there are over 250,000 Kenyans in the Diaspora in the United States alone, and many more in other countries throughout the world.  Through their own experiences many in the Kenyan Diaspora recognize the importance of education.  Many finance the education of family members directly.  We hope that many are also willing to support a general scholarship fund, one that provides verifiable transparency, and clear rules and regulations for awarding scholarships.

Application for Elimu Scholarships

The Elimu Fund scholarships will be announced nationally, using the local Kenyan media, a week prior to the announcement of the KCPE results.  Each applicant must submit the following materials:

• a completed application form,
• a copy of his or her examination results, and
• three letters of recommendation from the school principal, the area chief, and/or other community members in responsible positions (e.g., religious leaders, NGO members, etc., but not relatives) who are able to judge the applicant’s character and community orientation and who can certify or comment on the economic status of the applicant, and
• an essay explaining how the Elimu Fund will be useful to the student, and describing his or her potential contribution to society.

Criteria for Scholarship Selection

Awards will be granted based on objective criteria that include academics, merit, need, and an equitable geographic distribution in the selection process.  The applicant should attain a grade of "B" in the KCPE.  The financial need of the applicant will be verified through various sources, such as the local chiefs, school administrators, or clergy. The selection committee will include members from different backgrounds who will file a report of their recommendations, which will be posted on the Web site for review.  The scholarship is both merit- and need-based and will be applied toward the full cost of attendance at secondary school in Kenya.

Conditions for Continued Funding

Elimu Fund scholarships will be awarded for four years and will be disbursed annually, based on satisfactory performance defined as attaining an end-of-year average grade of at least "B."  A scholarship will be forfeited in whole if the recipient's performance falls below "B" grade for three consecutive terms; if he or she indulges in illegal activities, such as, stealing, using illegal drugs, or commits vandalism.  The scholarship will be forfeited also if the student receives another scholarship that covers the full cost of school attendance as defined by the Elimu Scholarship Administrative Board.  Where another scholarship covers only part of cost of attendance, the Elimu Fund Scholarship will be reduced by the amount of the other scholarship.   If a student receives a scholarship from another source, he or she must inform the Elimu Scholarship Administrative Board.

Fiscal Accountability

To minimize expenses, The Elimu Scholarship Administrative Board will be comprised of 100% virtual staff and volunteers at all levels.  Administratively, the Elimu Fund scholarship is made payable both to the school and to the recipient.  The school, in turn, will provide proof of receipt of the funds to the Elimu Scholarship Administrative Board.  The principal will release amounts covering incidental expenses, such as transportation and extra-curricular activities, at reasonable intervals.

The Elimu Fund will utilize Web-based technology and various other viable means to solicit funding.  The Fund will be regularly audited for accountability and to provide verifiable information to contributors to assure them that the intended beneficiaries actually receive the monies.  The Fund will strive to meet the standards for charity accountability of the Better Business Bureau's “Wise Giving Alliance."  These standards are a guideline to ensure that the Fund will be operated responsibly and that the intended beneficiaries will receive all of the donated monies.  Recipients of the Elimu Fund scholarship, their guardians, and the school administrations will be encouraged to provide regular feedback on their experiences with the logistics of the fund.

The Elimu Kenya Scholarship Fund is a 501 (c) 3 organization, hence, contributions you make to the fund are tax deductible.

Contact Information

To make a donation to the Elimu Fund, go here.  If you would like to become more involved in the Elimu Fund, please contact Mr. Kennedy Nyairo, Ph.D., or Mr. Johnson Obedi, MD.