The KEF mission is to provide disadvantaged students in Kenya, and their schools, with support and educational resources so that they may improve their communities and break the cycle of poverty in Kenya.
Education for children is a luxury that many parents around the world cannot afford. Kenya is one such place. With a per capita income of $730 (World Bank 2007), poverty is the primary reason most Kenyans do not complete high school.
Education is the seed of opportunity, particularly for desperately poor, nomadic and non-nomadic Kenyan girls and boys.
- Girls are often left out of educational opportunities.
- High school saves girls from forced marriage at age 13, as well as from the horror of female circumcision.
- Boarding School allows nomadic students to learn in one place even if their families move to find food for their livestock.
KEF scholarship funding changes the lives of bright, motivated nomadic and non-nomadic Kenyan boys and girls. High school education helps these students improve the lives of their families and communities — whether they continue on to a university, go to vocational school, or return to work in the village. Their education can break the cycle of poverty by providing the family with a knowledgeable advocate in the marketplace and income that is not dependent on rain and the natural growth of food for livestock.
While the KEF focuses primarily on high school, many of our graduates continue to vocational colleges and universities. We are pleased to continue to work with our graduates to help them access tertiary education and, in so doing, become further empowered members of their community.