Nyumbani Village Scholarships
Partner | Loreto Eastern Africa Province
Location | Nyumbani, Kenya
Overview
Nyumbani Village is situated in the Kitui District, Eastern Province of Kenya. Established in 2004, the village provides a stable home for those most vulnerable. Currently, up to 1,000 children and 100 grandparents displaced by the Kenya AIDS epidemic live in small cottage units as families. HIV/AIDS is still an enormous challenge in Kenya, with over 120,000 Kenyan children under the age of 14 infected with AIDS and an estimated 850,000 Kenyan children orphaned due to AIDS.
To help break the cycle of poverty, Nyumbani Village also provides residents with comprehensive medical care, education, psychosocial support, and food. The educational opportunities within the village include access to a primary school, secondary school, and a vocational training centre. However, some students pursue courses not offered at the vocational training centre, while others seek higher learning through university or college.
This project specifically aims to assist three students pursuing diploma-level courses at universities within Kenya.
Challenges
Over 3,200 immunosuppressant children either live in Nyumbani Village or are beneficiaries of Nyumbani programs. To protect this vulnerable community during the pandemic, the village temporarily closed its doors to visitors. At times, this has meant the students have not been able to return home during the lockdown.
Similarly, the universities and colleges closed intermittently. Although they introduced online learning for students, it has been difficult for them to keep up with the challenges of staggered education and limited contact with teaching staff. Promisingly, all recipients have resumed onsite classes and are well underway to completing the semester coursework.
Impact
This project’s impact is life-changing. Once a student has received an education, they can seek skilled employment. This goes on to benefit the village. As has happened in the past, successful students can afford to withdraw their siblings and grandparents from Nyumbani Village and care for them, thereby creating room for another child in need to be supported.
Activities
- Provide quality tertiary education scholarships to three orphaned young people from the Nyumbani Village:
– Recipient 1: Diploma in Chemical Engineering
– Recipient 2: Diploma in Supply Chain Management
– Recipient 3: Certificate in Tour Guide Operations - Help young people gain employment or start their own businesses to become self-reliant and financially secure.
