Out of every 10 Kenyan children, 2 do not receive any education at all, 8 will go to primary school, but only 2 will continue into secondary school. In 2003, the Kenya government brought in a policy of “free compulsory primary education” However Kenya is a developing nation and state funding of primary schools is limited to the training, and salaries of primary teachers and providing a limited number of text books. Buildings and equipment must be provided by the parents and community.

Primary Education

Communities have to make a charge for each child attending primary school, in addition to frequent fundraising “Harambee’s” to pay for school construction and maintenance. However, in most rural areas nearly 60% of the population live below the poverty line of $1 (60p) per day, therefore it is difficult to pay for one child and impossible to pay for two or three to attend the school. This poverty leads to very basic buildings. About 10-12 text books are shared in a class of 35 children. We assist schools with gifts of text books, exercise books, pens & pencils, and to ensure that the books are in line with the curriculum being taught we buy these from local businesses which also helps the economy of the area.

We pay the school charges and provide uniforms for about 50 needy children to get them back to school. Pupils in Kenya we find, are very keen to learn, and overcome many of the limitations to achieve good results in their KCPE examinations. Unfortunately, due to poverty only 20% of them are able to continue at secondary level.

Our education budget is also helping communities with maintenance work to bring school buildings up to a reasonable standard.

We have also started a programme of constructing new classrooms to accommodate the increase in pupil numbers due to the 2003 Education Act.
These are built to the new standards required, far higher than previous buildings.

Secondary Education

In Kenya a good education is highly valued, but on leaving the primary stage, all secondary schools are private, and although fees are modest by our standards, for most parents the cost of supporting their children through secondary , let alone further college or university education is completely beyond their means.

For 80% of teenagers leaving primary school, many of whom are extremely bright, but held back only by family poverty, their only hope of secondary education is to make an application to AAF for sponsorship. We have been running the sponsorship scheme since 2000, and at present are supporting 20 students, several of which have gone on to mechanical engineering college, teacher training college, theological college and university.

Some have completed their courses and have now found employment thereby developing their new skills for the benefit of the wider community. Sadly we receive many more applications from worthy students than we can sponsor within the funds available and we desperately need more sponsors to help bright children achieve their potential.

Below are just a few students who are or have been sponsored by AAF