Support education & conservation with ecobursaries

Scholarships

It has been a very encouraging period indeed; having successfully paid bursaries and engaged both students and parents benefitting from the ASSETS Eco-bursary fund in exciting environmental awareness activities. During this period, we disbursed a total of $6,512 to 75 students across 48 secondary schools nationwide. This support has enabled students to remain in school, which has positively impacted their academic performance. Additionally, their parents have been actively involved in various conservation initiatives including rearing over 10,000 seedlings in 8 tree nurseries managed by the community. 

Figure 1: Photo of ASSETS Students at Nyari Primary School

From floods to political protests led by mostly young people, famously known as "Gen Z", the period has experienced significant school down-time. A couple of school weeks were lost, for which schools had to devise a plan to recover. 

Figure 2: Photo of Ngala Menorial Students Receiving Bursary Cheques

Looking ahead, plans are underway to expand the scholarship program to include more schools. This is designed to increase the number of schools and the number of community members living around Arabuko Sokoke Forest benefitting from the ASSETS programme and ultimately increasing the population involved in the conservation of the resource. Three additional schools have been identified and assessed for inclusion in the scheme.

 Holiday Camps

In line with our conservation goal, five awareness meetings were organised for the programme's beneficiaries. These meetings which involved both the students and parents benefitting from the programme, prioritized discussions on the conservation of Arabuko Sokoke Forest and explored ways to contribute to its protection.

Members of the Community Forest Associations (CFAs) were brought in to shade more light on the various opportunities the communities living around the forest can explore to benefit directly from the forest. Additionally, students participated in mentorship training and mental health talks to ensure they remain focused on their studies.

Figure 3: (Motivational Talk)

Conservation and Livelihoods

Our tree nursery project is progressing well, with active participation from both parents and students in establishing and maintaining the nurseries. Currently, eight, tree nurseries are operational, hosting over 10,000 seedlings.

These nurseries are managed by the parents of the students supported by our program. Once the seedlings mature, they will be distributed to these families to plant at their homes, thereby providing additional livelihood opportunities whilst improving the environmental conditions.

Figure 4 Organising a Tree Nursery at Mijomboni

Menstrual Health Education

Following the positive feedback from our initial training on reusable sanitary towels, another session was organized  to train beneficiaries in making and using these devices. Additionally, a sewing machine was donated to facilitate ongoing production and distribution, allowing beneficiaries to share these resources with the wider community.

Figure 5: Making Reusable Sanitary Towels

We are grateful to all our donors and supporters for touching the lives of these very needy community members in a very special way. We receive wonderfully encouraging comments from our beneficiaries who always express gratitude to you all.