The project will provide one year of scholarship support for 8 children (3 girls, 5 boys) from Kibera to attend secondary school. Scholarships will cover school fees and supplies. In a country where only half of school-age children are enrolled in secondary school - and rates are even lower in Kibera where the population lives on less than $2 per day and few secondary schools exist in the community - this support will give children an opportunity to achieve a unique goal.
Unable to afford school fees and scholastic materials, many youth in Kenya are forced to drop out before they enroll in or complete secondary school. These children are forced to work, care for younger siblings and sick relatives in the home, and, for girls, even marry and bear children at an early age. Without education, they are less able to pull themselves out of poverty, to stay healthy, to provide care to their families in the future, and to be productive members of the national economy.
The project will provide 8 children (Veronica, Mercy, Teresia, Dennis, Godwin, Derrick, Denver and Bob) with funding to cover school fees and other school costs (for example textbooks, uniforms, and in some cases, boarding fees), for the 2015 school year. These children have been selected from the Kibera community based on need. In addition to financial support, students' performance is monitored by St. Vincent's and invited to participate in tutoring and other activities during school breaks.
While education is one of the most powerful tools for reducing poverty and inequality, secondary education is out of reach for so many children in Kibera. Scholarships will help children pursue life goals. For girls in particular, an extra year of education results in 20% more in earnings as an adult. Girls with secondary education are 6 times less likely to be married as children and an educated mother is more than twice as likely to send her children to school.
