An additional 461 students have benefited from Busia Beach Management Unit (BMU) Education Scholarship that has so far realized the disbursement of Sh4.7 million since its roll out in 2020.
The money is from the proceeds realized from the Fish Cage Investment support they received from Busia County Government which bankrolled the worthwhile initiative.
Speaking during the release of the last disbursement of Sh1 million to the beneficiaries, Busia County Director of Fisheries, Timothy Odende, said a total of 214 students benefited from the inaugural disbursement of Sh1.5 million in 2020 with the second cohorts receiving a total of Sh.3.2 million.
Odende said Sh4.7million that has been distributed to the needy students so far was part of the dividends the fishermen earned from cage fish farming which is an initiative of the County Government of Busia through the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Agribusiness.
Busia Governor, Sospeter Ojaamong’s administration launched the modern fish farming method using cages in Lake Victoria in 2019 and handed over to the BMUs to manage them.
The recipients of the sponsorship are children of licensed fishermen. Each BMU contributes Sh14, 000 annually towards supporting the scholarship program.
A parent of one of the beneficiaries, Charles Odongo, thanked the County Government for the investment and for providing an enabling environment to fishermen operating on Lake Victoria.
“This is a demonstration that the government of Governor Sospeter Ojaamong values children. Our children should take advantage of this kind gesture to advance their education career,” he said.
By Absalom Namwalo
