our purpose
The foremost aim of the WKEO is to provide scholarships for Kenyan students to pursue educational opportunities they otherwise would not be able to access. This includes two primary activities: 1) Partnering with respected community members to identify students in need of assistance, and 2) Providing scholarships and associated necessities for students to pursue educational opportunities, primarily in secondary school.
The kenyan education system
People in Kenya cherish the opportunity for education, especially for their children. The work we do allows children to go to school that otherwise would have to drop out, and for this, the communities we work with are extremely grateful. This section includes a little more background about the Kenyan school system so you can understand why we support the students that we do.
Kenyan schools are similar in structure to the U.S. and British educational systems. Students go to primary school, usually near their homes, for standards (i.e. grades) 1-8. Primary school is usually free in Kenya, although some students cannot attend because they cannot afford uniforms, transportation, or other necessary items. Many schools also lack basic necessities for students, requiring parents to pitch in to support the school. Often these accumulated costs of ~$100/year are too much for parents to afford, since many of them live a rural, subsistence lifestyle. This said, the majority of Kenyan kids today get a primary school education.
WKEO's students are in secondary school, which consists of Form 1 - Form 4 (similar to our 9th-12th grades). We select students from local primary schools based on both their need and academic potential. Secondary school in Kenya is not free. A local "day" school will cost about $300 dollars a year in fees, books, and uniforms. Students usually prefer to go to boarding schools so they can focus on their studies--their home lives are often busy and difficult. Boarding schools cost about $600-$1800 dollars a year, depending on the quality of the school. For instance, there are a few "national" boarding schools in the country. Students who perform really well on their standard 8 national exams qualify for entrance into these national schools, but they still must come up with the funds to attend. Often Kenyan families and communities hold a "harambee"--a tradition of coming together and pitching in as part of a community fundraiser for someone who needs to pay for school. But in many poor communities, funds are nevertheless too scarce to pay for students, even to go to local day schools. For this reason, many students, especially girls, stop their education after standard 8.
WKEO also supports a few students at universities. Students take a national exam after Form 4 (12th grade). If they perform extremely well, they earn scholarships, which give them ~50% off of university tuition rates. Based on their interests, these students are selected to enter a particular school and degree program. They still need to raise money for room, board, 50% of tuition, and supplies (books, computer time, printing, etc.). It is extremely difficult to find work in Kenya, where unemployment rates can run as high as 40%. Students have a much harder time than U.S. students finding a way to supplement their school fees while in college. Most of our students cannot find work on the side and often do not have time for it anyway (remember these students are sometimes walking miles to and from school, fetching their own water, growing food, and hand washing all of their clothes, in addition to being a college student). Our university students are few, but when a student gets a scholarship to a university, we provide them with support. They usually require about $1800/year.
Kenyan schools are similar in structure to the U.S. and British educational systems. Students go to primary school, usually near their homes, for standards (i.e. grades) 1-8. Primary school is usually free in Kenya, although some students cannot attend because they cannot afford uniforms, transportation, or other necessary items. Many schools also lack basic necessities for students, requiring parents to pitch in to support the school. Often these accumulated costs of ~$100/year are too much for parents to afford, since many of them live a rural, subsistence lifestyle. This said, the majority of Kenyan kids today get a primary school education.
WKEO's students are in secondary school, which consists of Form 1 - Form 4 (similar to our 9th-12th grades). We select students from local primary schools based on both their need and academic potential. Secondary school in Kenya is not free. A local "day" school will cost about $300 dollars a year in fees, books, and uniforms. Students usually prefer to go to boarding schools so they can focus on their studies--their home lives are often busy and difficult. Boarding schools cost about $600-$1800 dollars a year, depending on the quality of the school. For instance, there are a few "national" boarding schools in the country. Students who perform really well on their standard 8 national exams qualify for entrance into these national schools, but they still must come up with the funds to attend. Often Kenyan families and communities hold a "harambee"--a tradition of coming together and pitching in as part of a community fundraiser for someone who needs to pay for school. But in many poor communities, funds are nevertheless too scarce to pay for students, even to go to local day schools. For this reason, many students, especially girls, stop their education after standard 8.
WKEO also supports a few students at universities. Students take a national exam after Form 4 (12th grade). If they perform extremely well, they earn scholarships, which give them ~50% off of university tuition rates. Based on their interests, these students are selected to enter a particular school and degree program. They still need to raise money for room, board, 50% of tuition, and supplies (books, computer time, printing, etc.). It is extremely difficult to find work in Kenya, where unemployment rates can run as high as 40%. Students have a much harder time than U.S. students finding a way to supplement their school fees while in college. Most of our students cannot find work on the side and often do not have time for it anyway (remember these students are sometimes walking miles to and from school, fetching their own water, growing food, and hand washing all of their clothes, in addition to being a college student). Our university students are few, but when a student gets a scholarship to a university, we provide them with support. They usually require about $1800/year.