Relief for Mandera students as county launches Sh350m bursary

The initiative which will benefit over 22,000 students in the  county and provide relief for thousands of families struggling due to poverty and the impact of the prolonged drought, was launched by Governor Mohamed Khalif.

Speaking in Rhamu town during the launch of the 2022/2023 Mandera County Bursary Fund of Sh350,000,000 ‘ELIMU KWA WOTE’ initiative in Mandera North subcounty, the governor said the initiative will significantly reduce the burden on parents and provide the necessary resources for schools to provide quality education.

“As you are aware we have gone through a rough patch following four seasons of failed rain. The education sector is one of the most affected. Parents who would otherwise sell their livestock to pay for their children's school fees have lost their livestock, leaving many with huge debt they incurred buying animal feeds,” the governor said.

He added, “Without this initiative, our assessment shows that the education sector will collapse. As a result, thousands of children already disadvantaged by inadequate teachers and the schools closure during the Covid-19 pandemic, would fall further behind their peers in the rest of the country. It is, therefore, the right and sensible intervention for my government to embark on this to forestall disastrous outcomes.”

The governor urged the school management to utilise the funds properly and ensure no student is sent home for school fees.

Khalif disclosed that launching the initiative in Mandera North Subcounty was  deliberate and a pointer to the direction his administration will be taking—moving decision-making and resources from the centre to the grassroots.

To achieve this objective, he said his administration will launch future county initiatives and programmes in other subcounties.

The governor requested the national government to scale up the school feeding programme in primary schools noting that the severity of the current drought calls for more attention.

In December, the governor formed an education task force to look into existing provisions in ECD and TVET learning institutions and undertake labour market surveys to identify skills gaps in the county.

The task force report is expected next month and will provide a roadmap for the county to transform the sector and increase opportunities for the youth.

“As we wait for the task force recommendations, my administration has taken steps to support ECD learners. We have allocated Sh79 million to the school meals programme in the supplementary budget. We shall launch this programme as soon as the schools open. The feeding plan will reduce hunger and malnutrition and therefore improve education outcomes,” he said.

Mohamed Hassan a parent while congratulating the governor for the initiative said he is optimistic that the resources provided will result in an improved learning and living environment, thereby improving student performance.

 

 

 

-Edited by SKanyara