Education
Many children in Mukuru cannot afford to consistently attend school. While public primary school tuition fees are covered by the government in Kenya, myriad hidden costs, such as uniforms, books and required lunch costs, for example, keep children from attending.
AmericaShare has three different programs aimed at helping children living in poverty remain in school, and have the opportunity to learn, as every child deserves.
School Sponsorship Programme
Mukuru is teeming with children in need of support in their education. Our School Sponsorship Programme allows for generous donors to “sponsor” a child’s education. Students in our programme are placed in private boarding schools in and around Nairobi, where they are able to focus on their studies in a safe and peaceful environment. Sponsorship covers a student’s school fees, room and board, uniforms, food, school supplies, and anything else a student needs to focus on their learning. Sponsors are invited to correspond with the student they are supporting through regular letter writing, sharing photos and experiences from across the world.
Learn more about Sponsoring a Child
Shining Star Fund
The Shining Star Fund provides scholarships to high performing students for their secondary school education. Unlike the school sponsorship program, which targets the most vulnerable children living in Mukuru, the Shining Star fund strongly considers academic merit. The fund pools donations to be distributed to the students’s tuition.
In the Kenyan school system, there is only a one month break between primary school ending in December, and secondary school beginning in January. This quick turnaround keeps many excellent students from moving forward with their education or forces them to go to an informal school that lacks proper infrastructure and resources.
The Shining Star Fund ensures bright and capable students are not left behind by pooling donations of all sizes into the fund to help support a student as soon as they need it. We envision that 100% of our Shining Star Students will go on to attend University.
One for One
In 2009 Micato Safaris, launched its One for One Commitment, sending a child to primary school for every safari Micato sells.
While the government provides free primary education in Mukuru, 62,000 children stay at home because of onerous costs such as school uniforms, firewood, etc..
Thanks to Micato’s One for One Commitment, many thousands of these children are able to attend government schools in Mukuru. This program has enriched countless lives, of the children, their families, and the community at large.
For more about the One for One Commitment, see Micato Safaris.