Kenya Education Endowment Fund
About KEEF
Where is Kakamega?
See on Google MapsKakamega County and its major town of Kakamega are in western Kenya, only a few kilometres from the Equator. This area of Kenya is beautiful, fertile, and much of the population is desperately poor. A majority of people live by subsistence farming which often does not provide enough food for the average family.
Much of Kenya's territory is arid or semi-arid, making it difficult to become self-sufficient in food production. Cycles of severe floods and droughts also impact its food security.
Approximately half of Kenya's population is under 19 years of age. This high dependency ratio puts tremendous strain on the country's health care and educational programs.
Why does KEEF support secondary education?
The expenses of secondary school are beyond the means of many families, but with education and confidence the bright young people that KEEF supports tend to become leaders in their communities.
Secondary schools in Kenya include Forms 1 to 4, equivalent to our Grades 9 to 12. Tuition fees must be paid and all supplies must be provided. Most KEEF students attend boarding schools to maximize their educational opportunities, so school supplies include uniforms as well as a mattress, bedding, washing equipment and more. Students also need to buy text books and calculators.
Without financial assistance, most of the students selected for KEEF scholarships would not continue to attend school.
Student Selection
Our criteria for student selection are residency in Kakamega County, student need, and a sufficiently high academic record. The KEEF board regularly reviews the minimum exam scores required to be considered for a scholarship.
Secondary school students in Kenya write a country-wide examination in November at the end of Standard 8 (Grade 8), and their marks are available in December. Students bring their marks to the KEEF office to complete an application for a KEEF scholarship.
If students meet our criteria, they have a personal interview with KEEF Canada representatives. Also, visits are made to the students' villages to verify economic need.
The number of students selected will depend on the number of sponsors available in any given year. In 2018 we supported 126 secondary and 37 post secondary students.
Students must maintain good grades to retain their scholarships.