A total of 398 students from Turkana County who are in secondary schools under the equity bank wings to fly programme have been equipped with life skills as part of the Programme’s effort to make leaders who make a positive impact in the society.
Lydia Esimit, an orphan who comes from a family of six was among the beneficiaries of the programme.
She was full of praise for the programme for restoring hope in her when life appeared bleak after she sat her KCPE exam.
She said her dream to pursue secondary school education would have not materialized were it not for the programme coming to her rescue.
Esimit, who studied at Lodwar mixed primary, one of the schools with a high population of students, says her poor background had threatened to end her dream.
The form four student at Turkana girls’ high school, one of the national schools in the county, managed to score 348 marks in her KCPE and was lucky to secure a slot in the highly competitive programme.
“I want to pursue a degree in medicine at the university in order to assist the needy in the community,” she says during a press interview at Lodwar boys’ high school where the two days event was held.
Another beneficiary of the programme, S.M Baraka, a refugee at Kakuma camp, says he did not stand a chance of pursuing secondary school education due to his poor background.
Baraka who scored 399 marks and earned admission at Starehe boys centre through the scholarship programme envisions becoming a neurosurgeon.
“The mentorship programme helps instill values and confidence to the scholars and make them leaders,” said Baraka.
Equity bank’s Rift Valley General Manager Stanley Nganga said the mentorship programme aims to engage the students and give them leadership skills by having them interact with successful leaders within the society.
By exposing them to these leaders the scholars are able to have confidence in themselves that they too can be successful in life.
“As a bank we challenge the scholars to excel in their education and have good values,” he said.
“We expect you to be a role model to your peers and we have confidence in your capacity to use your wings well to reap the full benefits of this scholarship,” he told the scholars.
Those who excel in their studies in secondary schools are sponsored to pursue university education.
The General Manager however urged those who do not manage to join university to join TIVETS.
By Peter Gitonga
