I am Peter Akol and I help to coordinate the Turkana Basin Institute bursary program. Each year, as part of our community engagement, TBI disperses 4 million shillings (approximates $40,000) in support of student bursaries and top-up salaries for teachers working in several schools in the region.
To date, TBI has supported over 315 students and 13 teachers. TBI is currently supporting 195 students in various secondary schools, 61 students in national universities and 5 community health workers. We have also seen an increase in the female students that are awarded bursaries, a total of 57 to date. This program was set up to try to train the young men and women from this region in the hopes that in the future they will return to strengthen their communities. This program has been made possible by the generous donations to the TBI Community Education Fundby donor visits to the TBI facilities each year.
I recently paid a visit to several of the schools that enroll several TBI bursary supported students and would like to share some experiences with you.
Students of Our Ladies Girls Secondary school, Kakuma (Turkana District) stand with me on my recent visit. They received bursaries from the Turkana Basin Institute at the beginning of the year in 2015.
Head Teacher Fatuma Akal, Our Ladies Secondary School: “The educational support and supplies go a long way towards improving the learning environment of the students and the teachers in Turkana region.”
We also issued bursaries to a boys school, Songot Secondary School, between Kakuma and Lokichoggio, Turkana District. It was raining heavily when we arrived at the school, unusual for this part of the country.
Profile: Margret Nabua Kokoi, a student from East Turkana
Nabua Kokoi, 15, is a student supported by TBI bursary program. She has been one of the best performing students in one of the top National schools in Kenya. Before she received her bursary she had contemplated abandoning her school ambition due to lack of tuition fees.She is convinced that the program will help her reach her ambition to complete school and to go on to University if she continues to performing well.
“Education will change my life and my community’s’ life for the better. I want to go on in secondary school, then to university and one day become a doctor and help my people,” she said. Nabua is interested in learning despite her family background who strongly opposes sending girls to schools. “People used to think educating girls was a waste of time,” she added, “but that is changing now.”
Turkana Basin Institute is grateful for the support to the community program, which allows the institution to invest in lives of future generations through supporting education, health and environmental conservation initiatives.Thank you for making the difference!
