Rural Aid Kenya gives scholarships to 30 children from Nairobi slum

Rural Aid Kenya, a non-governmental organisation, will from next year educate 30 children from Mukuru slum in Landi Mawe Ward, Nairobi County.

The NGO has grouped the learners into three, according to their fee structures.

"[The beneficiaries] include learners who got more than 300 marks in KCPE exams, those who scored less than 300 marks and others who wrote their KCSE exams and want to pursue various courses,” project manager Mary Nzilani Odhiambo said.

Ms Odhiambo made the announcement during the children’s registration at Salvation Army's Kayaba Corps at the weekend.

“Our aim is to fund the education of children from the slums in Nairobi County" she told the meeting that MCA Herman Azangu and parents from the ward in Starehe also attended, noting, however, that the organisation has also sponsored learners from other parts of the country.

Key challenges

The MCA thanked Rural Aid Kenya for the support, noting there are many bright and talented children in Mukuru.

The main challenge when it comes to their education is lack of money, which is pushing higher the poverty index attributed to unemployment.

The situation was compounded by job cuts due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was confirmed in Kenya in March 2020.

Schools were closed for more than 10 months across the country as part of efforts to contain the virus.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, many people opted to move from informal settlements in urban areas to their rural homes to start life afresh.

The legislator asked the government to address poverty and youth unemployment for the sake of posterity.

He said youths in the area loiter for lack of jobs yet it is located within Nairobi’s Industrial Area, which he described as the capital’s hub.

“My ward is situated in the middle of Industrial Area yet my people have no jobs. The government should address the issue of joblessness,” he said.

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