1400 students receive full scholarship from SHOFCO

Some 1400 students from Nairobi County have a reason to smile after Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) awarded them with full scholarship beginning January 2025.

The students, drawn from all 17 sub counties in Nairobi, received their scholarships on Wednesday, December 11 in three events carried out in three locations across the county.

Speaking at Makongeni, Makadara Sub County, SHOFCO Founder and CEO Dr. Kennedy Odede said the scholarships will help students who had been locked out of school due to lack of fees.

Also targeted with the scholarships are teen mothers who were not able to go back to school after giving birth.

“There are many teen mothers who are facing challenges in continuing their education due to financial constraints, and lack of childcare.

“Our scholarships will help remove these barriers, enabling them to complete their high school education. They are our children,” Dr. Odede said.

Teen mothers will also receive stipend to enable them take care of their young children at home as they pursue education.

“We will not only provide them with the much needed support to continue their education, but we will also provide them with mentorship and counselling services.

“This support system will provide emotional and practical guidance, helping them navigate the challenges of being a student and a parent,” he added.

The organization is targeting to reach 10,000 vulnerable girls with the scholarship across Kenya.

“This is just but the beginning. We are going to scout for needy students across the country who need support to continue their education.

“We must invest in our children because in them we have future doctors, engineers, teachers, nurses, and many more careers. We must support them to realise their dreams and SHOFCO is their to walk the journey with them,” Dr. Odede added.

One of the beneficiaries, Rose Nduta, could not hide her joy after her child received full scholarship from SHOFCO.

“As a parent, it has always been my dream to provide the best education for my child but school fees has been the biggest challenge.

“The scholarship my child has received today will allow my child to focus on her education without the added stress of worrying about tuition and other school-related expenses,” Njeri said.

Njeri’s child received full support which include school uniforms, shoes and other school-related expenses.

“Thank you SHOFCO for this incredible gift. We are truly grateful for your generosity, and we promise not to let you down. I will do my part as a parent to ensure that my child concentrates in school now that school fees challenges have been taken off my shoulder,” she said.

Another parent, Judith Atieno Odera, said the scholarship has given her child chance to focus on her education and pursue dreams without the burden of financial worry.

“As a parent, this scholarship means so much. It will ease some of the stress we’ve been feeling, and it reaffirms my belief that there are people out there who genuinely care about helping young people succeed. Thank you SHOFCO,” Anyango said.

SHOFCO’s approach to community development is holistic, addressing multiple dimensions of poverty and inequality to create lasting change.

Its programs focus on education, healthcare, water and sanitation, economic empowerment, community mobilization, and youth development, all aimed at improving well-being and opportunities for residents in urban slums and rural areas.

Under its education program, SHOFCO also runs two schools, Kibera School for Girls and Mathare School for Girls, serving a student population of 580.

Students receive full sponsorship from grades one through eight and access vital services such as healthcare and water for themselves and their families.

SHOFCO pioneered aerial water piping systems in Kibera to prevent vandalism and theft of pipes, reducing water contamination.

These pipes terminate at 57 water kiosks in Kibera and Mathare slums, serving over 200,000 residents daily.

The organization also provides water to 47 schools and five health centers in Kibera and Lang’ata sub-counties free of charge.

It operates three Level 3 health centers in Kibera (two) and Mathare (one), serving over 600 patients daily.

In 2023, SHOFCO’s healthcare outreaches in Nairobi, Mombasa, Siaya, and Kakamega counties reached 467,087 individuals.

The organization serves over six million Kenyans annually across Kenya.

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