Thirty students from Bomet and Kericho counties have been awarded a Shs 33.8 million scholarship through the Finlay Community Trust’s Swire Masters and Undergraduate scholarship programmes.
The Trust, which is co-funded by Browns Plantations Kenya and Finlays Tea Extracts Kenya, is an independent charity that aims to deliver maximum social, environmental, and economic benefits by taking a collaborative approach to working with the local communities.
In addition to the scholarship, the undergraduate beneficiaries were also provided with a laptop computer as part of the program.
Speaking to KNA during the award ceremony at Exotic House, Kericho County, on Thursday, Corporate Affairs Manager Sammy Kirui said the coveted scholarships initiative, founded in 2012, is part of the Trust’s commitment to empowering youth through education and fostering sustainable growth within local communities.
“Finlays Community Trust is geared towards supporting students across all levels of education in Bomet and Kericho counties, thus fostering educational excellence in the two counties.
“The Trust is contributing to the country’s goal of empowering our youth to push Kenya’s sustainable development to the next level. The Trust has also given its input in empowering local communities and has continued to make a remarkable impact on society through scholarships, student mentoring programmes, educational infrastructure projects, water projects, and environmental conservation initiatives,” said Kirui.
Also present was the Managing Director for Browns Plantations Kenya, Simeon Hutchinson, who said the Trust had made significant efforts in empowering local communities in areas of welfare, infrastructure, conservation of the environment, and education.
He assured that Trust would continue to demonstrate continued commitment and create a legacy of hope and opportunity for the people in Bomet and Kericho counties.
“As Browns Plantations Kenya, we remain committed to providing members of the community with continued opportunities and resources that will catalyse the growth and development of the community for sustained generations.
The scholarship program is an integral part of our Sustainability Strategy, and as co-founders of the Trust, we are elated to see the impact it will have on building tomorrow’s leaders. I encourage the scholarship recipients to make the most of this incredible opportunity. Embrace the knowledge and skills you acquire, and use them to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Hutchinson.
Hutchinson said Finlays Community Trust endeavours to nurture more collaborations with the community to enhance the economic growth, development, leadership, and capacity of the counties as a step towards building a self-resilient community.
“I encourage the scholarship recipients to make the most of this incredible opportunity. Embrace the knowledge and skills you acquire, and use them to make a difference in the lives of others. To the Finlays Community Trust, I extend my heartfelt congratulations on another successful year. Your dedication to empowering young people is an inspiration to us all. Let us continue to work together to build a brighter future for Bomet and Kericho counties,” he added.
The National Director of TVET, David Nganga, extended gratitude for being invited to graze the occasion and urged the students who got the scholarships to work hard in their respective disciplines, adding that society was eagerly waiting for them to bring positive change.
“The government, through the Ministry of Education, has put in place measures to enhance technical education by ensuring that Vocational Training Centers are in every ward and Universities are distributed across all 47 counties. Competence Based Curriculum is an innovative approach towards education, and we can all agree it has already yielded positive results. The ministry is committed to ensuring every Kenyan acquires education and I urge the students to pursue education even further,” Nganga advised.
The director emphasised the need for continued collaborations between the communities, the government, and Finlays Trust.
Mr. Evans Rono, a 2014 beneficiary of the scholarship from Kericho County, expressed gratitude to Finlays Community Trust for helping him realise his dream of becoming a mechanical engineer.
Since its inception, the Finlays Community Trust scholarship programme has benefited 586 secondary school students, 40 TVET students, 428 undergraduate students, and 25 graduate students in the two counties.
By Kipyegon Mutai
