Education Kenya Project #20229

Sponsor and Support Students in Rural Kenya

by Kenya Keys

Project Report | Jul 11, 2016
Personal & Programmatic Growth

By Megan Hitchcock | Project Director

Agnes in Chwele

Not many people can truthfully say that they’ve beaten impossible odds to get an education. But Agnes can. Her challenges have been many, and even in a world where no one is a stranger to harsh difficulties, hers have been particularly severe. You can read her full story in this blog written by Kenya Keys’ Director, Rinda Hayes.

Demonstrating her deep commitment to education, Agnes persevered and, through the help of a Kenya Keys Sponsorship, she graduated from secondary school with high marks and is now preparing to go on to college. While waiting to begin the next phase of her own education, she has been actively contributing to the education of others—teaching as a volunteer in the Kenya Keys’ adult education class and volunteering in the community library.

It is fitting that Agnes, who has grown so much through her own sponsorship and education, would take part in a significant event marking major growth for the sponsorship program itself. Last month Agnes was part of a team that traveled to western Kenya (a drive of over 20 hours from her village) to help the Chwele Community launch a sponsorship program and girl empowerment project based on the Kenya Keys’ models.

Agnes and the rest of the team, including Kenya Keys’ Directors and interns from the U.S., worked with community leaders, principals, teachers, and students. The training ensured that the Chwele community has all the knowledge and resources to successfully replicate the Kenya Keys’ programs.

The Chwele Sponsorship program will begin with five students. That may seem small, but Kenya Keys own sponsorship program started small. And as Agnes will tell you, even just one sponsorship changes far more than just one life. Because of her education and empowerment, she has already contributed to the betterment of the lives of countless individuals, and she is just getting started.

Agnes at Taru Secondary School in 2014

Kenya Keys' teams from Taru & the US, hard at work

Links:

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Apr 13, 2016
Dreaming of Education

By Megan Hitchcock | Project Director

Christine is ready for high school

It’s always energizing, a little scary, and very rewarding to welcome a new group of students to the Kenya Keys’ Sponsorship Program. We are so proud of each of these remarkable students. To a person, they have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to qualify for further education, and they have met the high requirements to qualify for a sponsorship through the Kenya Keys program.

This year’s group of students is unique in an exciting way: for the first time ever, the majority of our qualifying students are girls. When Kenya Keys started in 2005, fewer than 5% of girls in the region went on to secondary school. With consistent and focused effort, we have seen steady improvement in girls’ academic achievement. And it all comes down to this—your donations give them hope. Before Kenya Keys, there was no chance they could go on to school. Now, because of donations like yours, they know that if they work hard enough, they will be provided with the means to get the education they have dreamed of for so long.

We want you to meet two of our new students. Christine is the fourth of nine children born to parents who never had a chance to go to school. Her parents struggle daily to meet the needs of their large family and Christine and her siblings often have to miss school in order to help. These challenges delayed Christine’s schooling, but she never gave up. At the age of 18 she has just completed 8th grade and qualified for a sponsorship. Thanks to donations like yours, Christine’s school fees have been paid and she has the chance to pursue her dreams.

Joseph is a remarkable young man who has used every resource available to him to further his education. He completed high school through a Kenya Keys sponsorship provided by students in the Honor Society at Madison High School in Portland, Oregon. Through his hard work, he scored very high on the national exam and has qualified to go to college! Even to qualify for college is a dream come true for him, and now he is waiting to hear if Kenya Keys can provide the funds necessary for his education. If you are able, please consider making a donation to our sponsorship fund to help support Joseph, and many others like him—eager scholars who are disciplined learners, ready to make their world a better place through their education.

Joseph is hoping for a college sponsorship

Links:

Kenya Keys Website

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Jan 15, 2016
Agnes Stays in School

By Megan Hitchcock | Project Director

Agnes, an eager and dedicated student

Agnes is a Form 3 Student (High School Junior) at Taru Secondary School in Kenya. She is a member of the Kenya Keys’-sponsored SOS (Save Our Sisters) organization and works as an advocate and role model for younger girls in the region. She participates in handball, volleyball, and cross country. And she loves singing and dancing. Her dream is to work in the medical profession.

Agnes is the fifth-born daughter in a family of seven children. Her father is the Head Teacher at a local primary school. Her mother has an 8th grade education and works hard to care for her family. Her parents value education and have worked hard to keep all their children in school.

Agnes is a dedicated and hard-working student, but her parents have struggled to pay Agnes’ school fees because of the many expenses of providing for their large family and all the costs associated with their children’s education. Because of this, Agnes frequently misses school while she and her parents work to save enough money to pay her fees. Her absences have negatively impacted her grades and threatened her potential to graduate and qualify for college.

Fortunately for Agnes, she qualified for a sponsorship through Kenya Keys. Because of your donations, we were able to intervene and pay Agnes’ school fees. This will allow her to continue her education without any further interruptions. We’re not overstating things when we say that this sponsorship will change Agnes’ life forever. And it’s not only her life that will be changed. The rest of her family, her school and community, and her future children will all be positively impacted by Agnes’ education.

Thank you for your donations. On behalf of Agnes and so many of her peers, we express gratitude for your generosity. Without you, their dreams of education would never be achieved. Visit www.kenyakeys.org to learn more about the students we sponsor and the success that is made possible because of your donations.

Links:

Kenya Keys Website

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