The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Foundation is hosting
its 8th Annual Mentorship Programme in Nairobi, with 541 students from 19
tea-growing counties in attendance.
The programme, which aims at nurturing the next generation
of innovators, thinkers, and changemakers, provides scholarships for bright but
financially challenged students to pursue secondary education.
The four-day event is themed “Every Dream Matters; Where
Possibilities Meet Potential”.
Beneficiaries are undergoing intensive mentorship from alumni who are mainly university students who were sponsored through the programme at the high school level, as well as senior members of staff from the tea agency and its foundation wing.
Speaking during the official launch of the function, KTDA
Foundation chairman GG Kagombe said that the foundation will expand its scope
of sponsorship from January 2025 to include students who will join institutions
of higher learning.
“As a Foundation, we have realized that we abandon these
students at the time they need us most. We commit to do things differently from
the beginning of next year and ensure that these students, whom we are sponsoring
at the high school level, transition to institutions of higher learning, and we
take care of their fees to equip them with the necessary skills and competencies
to face the future,” said Kagombe.
Since its inception, the Foundation has supported 1,355 needy and talented students across the 71 KTDA factories.
This underscores its long-standing commitment to education
in tea-growing regions.
Currently, up to 85%
of students sponsored through the KTDA foundation have been able to join
institutions of higher learning, most of which are public universities.
KTDA Holdings Chairman Chege Kirundi, who was among the
dignitaries who attended the meeting.
“We ask you to learn from the mentors and do your best to succeed. As KTDA, we are willing to support your ambitions and dreams,” he said.
He asked them to strive for academic excellence and grow
into responsible, purpose-driven citizens.
The mentorship event continues to inspire and empower young
minds, reinforcing the Foundation’s position as a champion of educational
progress in tea-growing communities.
