One hundred and sixty orphans and vulnerable students in Nyamira County, have benefited from the Presidential Bursary, to enable them access their basic right of secondary education.
Nyamira County Children Services Co-ordinator, Rasto Omollo, confirmed to KNA that over two million shillings have been disbursed to the orphans, who had lost hope of accessing secondary education, due to poverty and lack of financially stable caregivers.
“We have disbursed a total of Sh2, 217,250 to 160 orphans, which will enable them access their secondary education. All our new beneficiaries have joined form one and we hope to give them support until they finish their secondary education,” Omollo confirmed.
“All our new beneficiaries are those who joined form one this year. We shall clear the remaining school fee balances, when we shall receive the remaining half of the disbursement, before the close of this Financial Year,” Rasto said.
He explained that there are beneficiaries who were between form two to form four in various secondary schools countrywide and depending on the school the student was admitted in, Sh15,000 was disbursed for Sub-county and Sh30,000 Extra-county and National Secondary schools.
“It is not possible to enroll all orphans in the Presidential Bursary programme because they are many compared to the funds allocated for the same, we therefore, form a special select committee, which evaluates all the applications forms, and thereafter approve those orphans who are very vulnerable and genuinely deserve to benefit from the bursary kitty,” the County Children Services Co-ordinator explained.
Sharon Momanyi, a form four student at Nyakeore Secondary School in Nyamira South Sub-county, said she was very grateful for being considered to be a beneficiary of the Presidential Bursary, because she had lost hope of undertaking her secondary education because she was under the care of her grandmother, who was very old and could not work to cater for her education needs.
According to Sharon, so long as she has eaten, that was more than enough because she was unable to provide other basic needs, including education.
Rasto urged students to work hard in school and score good grades which would give them an opportunity to be enrolled in competitive career courses and transform their vulnerability and entire life once they get employment.
By Deborah Bochere
