University Students in Kenya

Nancy and Purity Mrabu, a Koins sponsored university student

The young man sat on the porch of the Koins Community Center, hoping for a meeting with me.  I was unaware of his situation regarding education.

Chirongo had finished secondary school at Mnyenzeni Secondary, and had successfully applied for admittance to Chuka University, in Kenya.  He needed approximately $ 950.00 to be admitted for his first term of school.  In the fall of 2009 he went to the university, only to find out that the $900.00 he had in hand from Koins was $ 50.00 short, and he was not admitted to school.  He had no means to get the needed $ 50.00.  His family could not help.  He was heartbroken.

It was eight months later that I made my trip to visit the village and my scholarship students.  I had not been told of his educational challenge.  As we sat together, tears filling his eyes as he told me his story, he meekly pulled Kenyan shillings out of his pocket.  He had, for eight months, held every single shilling in a safe place, hoping that when I returned to Kenya, he could explain his dilemma and get some aid.

Holding that amount of money for that long was a feat of excellence.  The money represented his new life, his chance to improve his circumstances, his way to a future; and he was not about to squander it on anything EXCEPT an educational opportunity.

Chirongo, a Koins sponsored university student in Kenya

Today, Chirongo is in his last year of a computer science degree at Chuka University.  He smiles, he laughs, he is outgoing and engaging.  His life is changing because of the tuition that Koins has covered.  His life will be drastically different from the one he might have had without the education he has received.

Koins for Kenya also has students majoring in law, education, environmental studies, accounting and engineering.  They will make a lasting difference in life inside Kenya.

Koins is currently sponsoring 15 university students who have qualified to attend university.  These kids are the best of the best – the top of their class.  They have endeavored to improve their lives and the lives of their village.  We believe this is the essence of educational help in Mnyenzeni.

This is where the Scholarship Program can use your help.  We are constantly looking for sponsors, both for our secondary students and especially our university students.  Your contributions can change their world.  You can make an eternal difference in the advancement of the village, the people, and the families of Mnyenzeni.

If you want to invest in Mnyenzeni in a lasting and enduring way, please sponsor a student.  You can develop a relationship with him or her.  You will see report cards and receive letters.  You can watch as your student grows, matures, and becomes a leader in the community.

The chance to sponsor a student is the chance of a lifetime.  Secondary students’ tuition is currently $350.00 per year if the student is in the village. We have about 12 students who have scored so highly on Level 8 testing that they are in national schools around Kenya. Their tuition ranges from $ 600.00 to $1,450.00 per year, but their education is truly a “prep school” education, and we expect all of them to easily move on to university.

University tuitions range from $ 1,200.00 to $ 3,000.00 per year, depending on the school and college of study.   

At this time, we have several students who have qualified for a university education, but do not have sponsors.  Their hard work and scholastic excellence is hanging by a thread.  If we do not find sponsors for them, we will not be able to support them in this dream for a better future.  It is not necessary to pay the entire scholarship all at once, and you can even sponsor a portion of a scholarship if you are not able to fund a full scholarship.

Looking for an area to make a difference?  Want to help change a life?  Do you want to build a monument to improvement in families and communities?  Here it is.  

Go to the donations page and click on the Scholarship Fund line in the Donation Destination drop box, and help us help these kids in ways you can never imagine.  

If you have questions, contact me at Nancy@koinsforkenya.org. 

Asante sana, 

Nancy Littlefield

Scholarship Coordinator, Koins for Kenya