Kenya
School Scholarships for Slum Children
In one of the poorest regions of Kenya, Kwale County, parents sometimes do not have money for school. Girls are also taken out of school earlier than boys to help with the housework and to earn money. This means that a lot of talent is lost. Furthermore, girls outside the school (boarding school) walls have a much greater chance of becoming pregnant and married off. Education is therefore particularly important for girls. If they complete an education, they have the greatest possible chance of being able to lead an independent and autonomous life later on, and to be able to use their talents. At three secondary schools, boarding schools for girls, our local partner organisation, the Verkaart foundation, supports 400 girls by covering all school costs. These government schools themselves are also supported. For example, extra teachers are hired and a chemistry classroom is built. This improves the quality of education.
Contribution from Globewise
Globewise supports 40 girls with a secondary school scholarship at two of these schools. They follow a four-year education at a so-called boarding school and finish with a diploma. With a diploma in their pocket, they have a chance at a future in which they can lead an independent and autonomous life and use their talents.
School Scholarships for Slum Children
Children from the slums are the most disadvantaged children with the least opportunities in Kenyan society. Globewise helps by offering them school scholarships. But even after completing a school education, it is very difficult to find a job with an unemployment rate of 70%. The local organization Good News Centre Kenya therefore teaches the children important skills that will shape them further with life skills lessons. In these lessons, children are challenged to think about what is important to them and the people around them in life and what choices they want to make. The organization supervises homework and learning after school, because doing homework in the slums is difficult due to the small housing, the distractions and the demands that the family makes on the child to help with the housework/earning money. The youth are also helped in finding internships and in looking for and finding a job.
Contribution from Globe wise
Globewise helps the local organization by financing school scholarships and guiding the students through life skills training and homework assistance.
Schooling and School Meals for Rural Children
In Thika in Kenya, Globewise has been supporting projects for a number of years that focus on getting poor children who grow up in the slums and the countryside to school. In order to encourage children to attend school, our local partner Macheo has set up various projects. Many children do not get enough to eat, which means they go to school hungry, which does not benefit their school performance.
Contribution from Globewise
Globewise supports more than 200 children and young people in following education at regular secondary school, vocational training or university. We do this by paying school grants. In addition, nutritious school meals are offered on a large scale in order to reduce school absenteeism due to illness and malnutrition.
After completing their studies, these young people often lack the skills needed to find and keep a job. A specially developed program closes this gap. This program, supported by our partner RGF Nederland, focuses on improving English language skills, computer skills, social skills and CV writing skills. The results show that students actually find work faster and thus have better future prospects.
Vocational Education for Homeless Girls
The Kenyan organisation Pendekezo Letu takes in homeless girls. They come from the slums of Nairobi and Thika and the rural area in this area. The girls who are taken in are between 6 and 14 years old. They often became addicted on the streets. The girls live in a shelter for 10 months where they detox and are prepared to go to school (again). The girls have not ended up on the streets for nothing and are usually traumatised. The return to their families, after the rehab period, is therefore carefully supervised by social workers who maintain regular contact with the girls and their families for three years. From their home situation, the girls go to primary or secondary school or they follow a vocational training. The families receive, if necessary, a contribution towards the costs of school for three years. (school fees, school uniforms, examination fees, etc.). Any brothers and sisters are also helped with this.
Contribution from Globewise
The organization offers (vocational) education for underprivileged girls from risk groups. In 10 months they are trained as hairdressers or beauticians. Globewise supports this organization, which enables 50 girls to follow this vocational training each year. Furthermore, we make it possible for 280 children to follow primary and/or secondary education.
The vocational education project has been made possible by our external sponsor RGF Nederland since 2022. The students are given maximum support with workshops on their study choice and receive intensive guidance throughout their entire education. After obtaining their diploma, the young people are coached in finding a job or starting their own business. The impact of the program is clear: more students from the slums complete their studies and find a job.
