EDUCATION – Friends of Kenya Rising

EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Education has always been at the heart of what we do. 18 years ago we focused on making sure that children went to primary school,
and today we work to ensure students thrive at all levels of education from elementary school through university.

SCHOLARSHIPS

We have been offering support to needy students through scholarships/sponsorships for more than 18 years, and this activity remains at the core of our Family Care model. We directly support over 200 high school and post-secondary students, and this number grows every year. Indirectly, we also help 180 families so they can ensure that their 500+ elementary school students get a quality education. In total, over 700 students from 350 families are getting the education they need and deserve through our assistance.

LIFE SKILLS AND CAREER GUIDANCE

Apart from buying supplies and facilitating scholarship fees payments to schools, we provide life skills training and career counselling to high school students and graduates. Life skills training focuses on things like self-motivation and sexual health. Career guidance focuses on helping students to match their passion with vocation, and to take a realistic approach to career choices and post-secondary education and businesses opportunities.

Elementary School

Secondary School

College / University

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Elementary school, known as primary school in Kenya, is tuition-free but still costly for families to buy uniforms and learning materials. We support families with cash stipends, in-kind gifts, and business training so that parents and guardians can ensure that their children fully benefit from primary-level education.

SECONDARY SCHOOL

For young Kenyans finishing their rigorous 8th grade exams, moving forward into high school requires money to pay for fees and supplies. We offer life skills workshops, learning supplies, and fees scholarships to students from critically-poor families, so that cost barriers do not keep young learners from thriving in high school.

COLLEGE / UNIVERSITY

Kenya’s economy supports a limited number of highly coveted white-collar jobs, and most youth dream of these careers. We offer university scholarships to high school grads who get top exam scores and acceptance into government-subsidized university programs. For these bright young minds, our scholarships ensure that a humble background does not stop them from pursuing their dreams.

VOCATIONAL SKILLS

After high school in Kenya the job market is tough. For students who didn’t achieve “direct entry” to university through the top scores on national exams, we offer scholarships for technical and vocational training. Youth who develop skills in trades like hair styling, carpentry, and tailoring have opportunities in both employment and small business, opening doors for them to build the kinds of professional lives they want and need.

Vocational Skills

Life Skills

Career Guidance

LIFE SKILLS

Through annual multi-day retreats and other occasional workshops, we provide life-skills training to young people in areas including ethics, self-presentation, self-motivation, and sexual health. Most of our life-skills presentations and small-group discussions are led by invited guests from relevant organizations, for example staff from Marie Stopes – Kenya lead our sexual & productive health training.

CAREER GUIDANCE

We help students find the careers or small business futures that fit both economic reality and their unique experiences and skill sets. Supported by staff members in our Education Department and invited guests who specialize in topics at hand, we use one-day workshops and multi-day retreats to help guide the young people we support to find careers well suited for them.