Scores of bright but needy students from various parts of the country have a reason to smile after getting full scholarships to pursue secondary education sponsored by a US-based family from Mwea Ward in Embu County.
Engineer Tim Muli, who runs an engineering firm in California, through his programme dubbed Muli Children International Education Program, has been able to educate 87 students through secondary education out of whom 23 have joined university.
Engineer Muli said the program started in 2009 with the mission of restoring the education dreams of children from poor backgrounds.
“The reason for doing this is that I come from a community that is so disadvantaged where there are a lot of kids who cannot go to school because of lack of resources while others don’t have parents,” he said.
He said this was one of the things he aspired to do when he went to the US, to give back to the community by giving scholarships to the needy.
Speaking at his ancestral home in Malikini Village where he hosted the beneficiaries and their parents and guardians for a reunion party on Monday, Muli said over time, he has been able to expand the program to impact more children in the entire country.
“The key is to be able to impact as many kids as possible,” he said, adding that in the coming years, he hopes to expand the program to support more children in colleges or universities.
“I am also looking forward to starting a leadership academy to train children to be future leaders, not just passing exams,” he said.
Program Director Steve Muya said the program has so far proven to be successful by targeting the very needy students who could have otherwise not gotten a chance of advancing their education.
Beneficiaries had nothing but praises for the opportunity accorded to them to realize their education and career dreams through the program.
Jane Kimeu, who is a mother of twin daughters, said were it not for the program, the girls would not have proceeded to secondary school owing to her financial handicap that was made worse by the ailment of her husband.
Kelvin Malilu said he was to be enrolled in a day-school upon completion of his primary education, but through the scholarship he is now in a boarding school and gearing up to pursue a course in medicine later on.
By Samuel Waititu
