Support children from poor families to achieve their dreams

This week, the Education ministry led by Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha placed the 1.2 million 2021 KCPE candidates to their secondary schools of choice in the spirit of 100 percent transition policy.

The ministry deserves a round of applause for the exceptionally good job, especially for the affirmative action criteria applied in the selection of learners from slums and marginised areas.

However, these learners from vulnerable and humble backgrounds may not pursue their high school education because they lack school fees. The high cost of living has affected families living below the poverty line and paying school fees is the least of their priorities.

Some corporates and individuals such as the KCB Foundation, Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly and Mastercard Foundation are doing their best to help these brilliant minds by paying their school fees. This is a step in the right direction which all corporates and individuals of good will should borrow.

Children from vulnerable and marginalised families must be supported to make their dreams come true.

Such corporate help to needy children to further their studies goes a long way in creating a more humane, fair and better society as education is the best equalizer.

Collective responsibility

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats it’s children, so said an anonymous author. Children are critical agents of reimagining a better Kenya. Therefore, it is a collective responsibility of all Kenyans of goodwill to teach the children good morals, principles and patriotic national values.

National values are key ingredients for social justice, non-discrimination, inclusiveness and equity in the society. As a result, children will grow up grounded on tolerance and having profound respect to diversity, which is crucial in building peace and democracy in the nation.

For instance, parents should take some time to recite the national anthem and sing patriotic songs to their children for them to know their identity and national heritage. This will boost the children's sense of national pride.

Furthermore, good ethics is essential in building transparency, accountability, trust and confidence in our institutions, workplaces and the country at large.

Children should also learn to deeply embrace the harambee spirit, which means, let us all pull together in order to resolve future problems that may arise in the community. By this way, the chilren will learn to lend a hand to their needy fellow children and show love to the world.

Children’s welfare

Additionally, it is necessary to instil, acquaint and equip Kenyan history to our beloved children so that they know their role in building a thriving democracy. Thus, they will learn from the past errors of omission and commission, which will help a great deal to build a better and safer Kenya for all. 

Young persons who have access to quality and effective mentoring programmes grow into confident and capable adults. Mentoring assures children that the adults with whom they interact daily care about them .

This holiday break, parents have the single most important role to mentor their children not only on how to achieve exemplary grades but also in the development of their character.

Undoubtedly, society should endeavour to raise the aspirations of young people significantly. This inspiration, motivation and support may bring enormous future benefits by bringing the best out of the children.

We should listen to children’s ideas and demands on what worries them. For the better future of every child, it is critical to improve children’s welfare. This can be done through tackling issues such as climate change, educational divide, mental health and discrimination, which have adverse effects on our children.

One of the most valuable things you can do in your life is to protect children from the pythons of sickness and buffalos of hunger .

Davis Basweti Ombane is an economist. [email protected]