Community raises funds to keep vulnerable students in school

Yamalang’o CBO Chairperson Mary Achilles issues cheques to students at Ongulu village in North Kanyabala sub-location.  [James Omoro, Standard]

 At least 120 vulnerable students in Homa Bay Sub-County have been spared disruptions to their education after members of the community came together to raise funds to pay their school fees.

The students from North Kanyabala sub-location had difficulties paying school fees.

The villagers organised in a group dubbed Yamalang’o CBO have been collecting money to support the children and organised a funds drive to boost the kitty. The 451 members raised Sh500,000 and each of the students got a cheque of Sh4,000.

Yamalang’o CBO Chairperson Mary Achilles said they started the initiative after discovering that poverty was preventing many families from taking their children to school.

“Our assessment revealed that many families were unable to pay school fees for their children. We decided to intervene by raising funds to support these children,” Achilles said.

Speaking at Ongulu village during the distribution of cheques, she regretted that many students had not been going to school due to fee balances of between Sh3,000 and Sh5,000.

“Someone may think the Sh3,000 fee balance is small on paper, but it is a huge amount of money in a family where there is poverty,” Achilles said.

She expressed optimism that the money will enable retention of the learners in school.

"Our objective is to create an enabling environment for children from our community to acquire education,” she said.

 Area leaders have lauded the initiative.

George Okumu, a community member, underscored the significance of investing in education.

Okumu said education will help to break the poverty cycle in the community.

“We cannot solve many communal problems affecting us today if we don’t invest in education. This initiative will enable us to transform the lives of our people in future,” he said.  

North Kanyabala Assistant Chief Washington Kideo said educating children will reduce crime and goonism in the area.

He argued that well-nurtured youth become responsible citizens.

“Drug abuse and goonism are emerging as threats that our young people should desist from,” Kideo said.

He encouraged the students to focus on their studies.