Needy students from Mombasa get education sponsorship

From left: Hatua Likoni programmes director Kwame Mwakio, Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Hatua Likoni director Gabrielle Fondiller and Base Titanium Community Programmes Superintendent Juma Lumumba during the fundraising event to help needy students from Mombasa County. PHOTO | COURTESY | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  REBECCA OKWANY

What you need to know:

  • This follows a Sh6 million sponsorship from Base Titanium mining company, contributions by well-wishers and the county government.
  • The money will enable Hatua Likoni to provide scholarships for 50 secondary students for the next two years.
  • Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho and Senator Hassan Omar, who also attended the event, helped in raising an additional Sh915,000.
  • Likoni Constituency is ranked among the poorest in the six constituencies in Mombasa County.

At least 74 bright and disadvantaged high school and college students in Mombasa will benefit from sponsorship to pursue their education.

This follows a Sh6 million sponsorship from Base Titanium mining company, contributions by well-wishers and the county government.

Base Titanium presented a cheque worth Sh5 million during a fundraising event held at the Sarova Whitesands Hotel.

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The money will enable Hatua Likoni, a non-governmental organisation, to provide scholarships for 50 secondary students for the next two years.

Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho and Senator Hassan Omar, who also attended the event, helped in raising an additional Sh915,000 in the night-long event last weekend. Part of the money will be used to pay fees for 24 students joining college and university this month.

HELP YOUTH

Through scholarships, mentoring and career guidance Hatua Likoni aims to help youth finish school and enter the workforce as professionals and responsible citizens who not only lift both themselves and their county out of poverty.

While receiving the contributions, Hatua Likoni director Gabrielle Fondiller said about half of the students who complete primary education in Likoni Constituency are unable to proceed to secondary school due to lack of school fees.

The constituency is ranked among the poorest in the six constituencies in Mombasa County namely Mvita, Changamwe, Kisauni, Nyali and Jomvu.

“Our children, particularly in Likoni can’t afford good education. In the area 25 per cent of pupils passed their KCPE exam last year while 50 per cent got below 199 marks out of 500,” said Ms Fondiller.

POOR PERFORMANCE

“There are more pupils getting below 200 marks than those getting above 250 marks out of 500 in Mombasa public schools. We need to move away from this trend,” she said while thanking well-wishers for their contributions.

Mombasa County executive secretary for Education Tendai Lewa Mtana said that the county through its Elimu Kwanza programme was gearing to tap many students who were not able to transit to secondary education into technical training institutions.

He took issue with the current system of education which he said focuses on testing students on topics alone and not skills and concepts each is good at.

Other sponsors present during the fundraising event were Jaffer Foundation, Commercial Bank of Africa and Boss Freight Terminal.

Hatua Likoni currently sponsors 197 students who perform exemplarily well in national examinations including 137 in high school and 60 in colleges and universities.

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