Facebook group mentors, pays fees for students in Kakamega

KAKAMEGA: Many people turn to social media to express divergent views and often there is a lot of political “noise” coming from these forums.

However, there is some good that can come from this platform and one group set about to use it in making a difference.

Two years ago, the Kakamega County Facebook Forum came up with the noble idea to sponsor a bright but needy student from each of the county’s twelve constituencies. They then set about to ensure those who scored 350 marks and above in KCPE were supported by the group’s over 23,000 members.

In-line with this objective, the group organised a three-day workshop, December 26 to 29, at Mukumu Girls’ High School in Kakamega which saw 28 students they sponsor and their guardians meet their sponsors and mentors.

“Our objective was to bring to closure challenges faced by the students in class performance especially in Math and English and teach the students life skills.

We also wanted to develop a relationship among students with their sponsors and guardians. Some of the sponsors stay abroad and only travel to Kenya in December,” says Joseph Eululo the group’s secretary.

The three-day event saw the children get pep talks from among others Kenyan top economist James Shikwati, Prof Fulbert Namwamba of Baton Rouge University Louisiana and Principal Priscilla Were who runs a school that operates on values, and with no prefects - Glory Value School Butere.

“Your sponsors are not doing this because they are rich but because they love what is good, they value education and want to give back to society,” Were said urging the guardians to also be involved in ensuring the children have good values.

She said: “Monitor your children and know who they associate with. Encourage them to be innovative, rear a chicken there and plant a tree here, so they do not pester you for small monies.”

The event also saw the students get to make presentations, sit for a math quiz, a spelling bee quiz, get a moment with God, participate in games and carry out community service.

The Facebook group now registered as a welfare association named Tusomeshe Watoto Kakamega County, makes regular contributions, some as little as Sh200 that goes towards paying for the students’ fees and upkeep.

“We allow anyone to contribute to this initiative and so far people even out of Kakamega County have contributed. Donors have an option to sponsor a student directly by depositing money in respective schools or partake in crowd funding through M-Pesa number or the group’s bank account number which is then channeled to the students’ fees and upkeep payment,” Eulolo says.

On the group’s Facebook page, there is a breakdown of contributions received and these are posted by Eulolo and the group’s treasurer Suzanne Mudavuda.

Sponsors have a right to be in another closed Facebook group Tusomeshe Watoto Kakamega County, which shares more in-depth the plight of these sponsored students from their class performance where termly report cards are posted and school conduct and attitude of students’ discussed.

“Mentors who are volunteer people from the Facebook groups also take up the role of foster parents since many of the children’s parents cannot afford to visit them at school. These foster parents report on the wall how the child is doing after every visiting day and members are allowed to give critical analysis,” Eululo says.

Bringing this idea to fruition has not been without its challenges with group chair Josephine Muluka lamenting: “Some believe this is an NGO from abroad, so they keep demanding to be given the fees in cash in order to cater for their daily needs.”

The “Facebook sponsors”, as they are popularly known, are now looking forward to adding 12 more bright students, those due to join form one in 2016, to their family and we wish them all the best in their endeavours.