Giving hope to needy girls

Kianda School has established itself as a high-cost, first class academic institution for girls. What most people don't know is that for several years, girls from poor families have been sponsored to also enjoy quality education, writes NJOKI CHEGE

Kianda School is best known as a training ground for future women leaders, thanks to its rigorous curriculum that includes character formation and spiritual enhancement. Although majority of the students come from wealthy families, there are a few girls whose background is the exact opposite. They live in slums or other poor abodes, and their lifestyle is a far cry from their rich colleagues. While at the Kianda School, however, the girls are made to feel equal.

Kianda School students. [PHOTOS: MAXWELL AGWANDA/STANDARD AND COURTESY]

The Kianda Foundation, which is a non-profit education trust fund, was founded in 1961 by four professional women (the late Mary Mahoney from USA, Margaret Curran from Ireland, Olga Marlin from USA and Teresa Temes from Spain) with the aim of promoting the educational, professional, cultural and spiritual welfare of girls and young women in Kenya.

Multi-racial college

The first of its many projects was the Kianda College, an institution for secretarial and business studies. It was the first multi-racial college of its kind in pre-independence Kenya.

In 1977, Kianda School was established. It initially began as a high school, but now has a primary section too.

Other projects under the Kianda Foundation umbrella include Kimlea Girls Technical Training Centre in Limuru established in 1992 to provide young women from the Tigoni tea picking zones with skills in agriculture, machine knitting, tailoring and basic accounting among others so that they can start their own businesses; Kimlea Clinic, which offers medical services to the poor labourers in Tigoni and the neighbouring areas; and Wanjohi Farm in Ol Kalou, a recent project that involved purchasing 20 acres in Nyandarua to resettle 238 internally displaced families.

The foundation relies on funds from local and international donors.

"It is sad that Kenyans have not yet grasped the value of giving to society," says Evelyn Tiren, Kianda Foundation’s marketing manager. "You don’t have to be rich to give. That little amount you give will go a long way towards educating a child from a disadvantaged background."

Since its inception, Kianda School has operated a bursary fund to aid bright and gifted girls from less advantaged backgrounds. To date, hundreds have benefited. Now the school wants to cement this initiative by starting a scholarship scheme so they can support more girls who may not be able to afford the school fees.

"The Kianda Scholarship Scheme is a continuation of the ‘Benevolent Fund’ set up by parents of students whose daughters were in the first Class One group and who went through Kianda School right through to the high school. These parents came up with an initiative to set up a fund to aid those less privileged students," explains Joan Odera, the school’s principal.

As the school prepares to celebrate the golden anniversary of Kianda Foundation, there is hope of reviving the Benevolent Fund, whose beneficiaries are usually drawn from public primary schools in Nairobi and admitted into Form one on full scholarship. This year, 25 girls have been sponsored.

"Kianda School aims at having a high percentage of girls on full scholarship," says Joan.

Minimal fee

Thus far, the scheme covers the bulk of the school fees, which includes tuition, textbooks, uniform, lunch and transport. The cost of educating each girl under the sponsorship scheme stands at Sh43,000 per term. Parents or guardians of the recipients are, however, required to pay a minimal fee per term (the amount depends on their financial ability).

Under the tag line ‘Sponsor a Girl’, the kitty has raised Sh5 million, although the target is Sh100 million. Well-wishers have the option of paying a girl’s full school fees or part of it.

In the meantime, Kianda School is organising a musical choral concert scheduled for June 4 to raise funds. Other fundraising activities include a dinner and golf tournament.