Safia Dima was constantly under financial strain that built up into mental stress.
Caring for a 46-year-old sickly niece, as well as fending for her a two children, was taking a toll on her.
“Last year, I was admitted twice to hospital. I could not handle the stress; and my daughter had completed primary school, waiting to join Form 1.”
Just when she was about to give up on her daughter’s secondary education, Dima received a call from daughter Adasa’s primary school head teacher asking her to go sign an application form the girl had filled.
It was a scholarship application. “I borrowed money after securing a place for her at Al Farsy Secondary School. I managed to raise Sh19,000.”
One day in March, Adasa went home with a receipt. She had qualified for a full four-year scholarship from the Mombasa government.
In Changamwe, Jackline Akuku, also without a steady job, had grown weary of seeing Isaac, her son in Form Two, sent home often for lack of fees.
He would stay for two or three weeks as Akuku struggled to raise the fees.
Akuku’s other son, Brighton, was set to join Form 1 at St Charles Lwanga Secondary School, where his brother Isaac was..
She was also taking care of two other children in primary school.
“I had constant headaches. How would I cope with paying fees for the four at the same time? I thought my end had come,” she says.
Then a miracle happened. Brighton qualified for the Mombasa governor’s scholarship.
“I felt like the weight of the whole world had been lifted from my shoulders,” the mother says.
And then she heard about the Mombasa County Elimu Scheme and she went for it. The programme gives Sh5,000 for fees every term.
“It was like God was shining his torch on me. I felt like the luckiest woman on earth. I could breathe again. The principal told me I would pay fees next when Isaac is in Form 3, and in third term.”
Akuku can now sleep easy, knowing her two children in secondary school will always be in class.
Khamisi Secondary School principal Ramadhani Ali said the Mombasa County Elimu Scheme is a game changer.
The fund supports learners in all public secondary schools in Mombasa county.
“The formula the governor came up with is that every child is given Sh5,000. Initially, we had a challenge with the other bursary,” he says.
The Mombasa county chairman of Kenya Secondary School Heads Association said the principals know who is needy. The previous bursary, where MCAs were given the mandate to distribute the fund, had loopholes.
“We saw children of well-to-do people get bursaries while the needy missed out because you had to know the MCA to benefit,” he says.
Governor Abdulswamad Nassir’s Elimu Scheme, established last year, came up with the capitation model, where all learners get a flat rate of Sh5,000.
Ali says this has helped improve learner retention rates in schools and is improving performance.
“We believe for a learner to pass they have to be in school always. Attendance plays a big role in the performance of a learner and the school.”
The Kessha county chairman says principals have a challenge with finances because capitation from the Education ministry usually delays and comes in bits, thus causing the head teachers headaches with suppliers.
“But with the county’s Elimu Scheme, we have money to pay suppliers. Our main concern is usually pending bills and, since the Elimu Scheme comes at once, we usually pay our suppliers, who are now happy,” he says.
Each of the 135 secondary school principals in Mombasa county is given application forms, according to the number of students they have.
Once duly filled and sent to the Elimu Scheme board for verification, the money is released to the school’s account. The application forms are for audit purposes because all learners are supposed to get the bursary.
“But we have a problem as a society,” Ali says. “Some parents do not fill the forms, attach the required documents or return them.”
This makes it hard for the principal because if he or she returns 500 forms out of 600 given out, only 500 learners will get the Sh5,000 bursary.
Star of the Sea Secondary School principal Lucy Nduma says the Elimu Scheme, which was implemented in January, has enhanced the 100 per cent transition rate championed by the government.
“We did not decline new students because of lack of fees.”
Nduma admitted more than 100 girls to Form 1 without fees. Her school has a student population of 1,000.
“The governor had promised the new Form 1 students Sh5,000 each for fees.
“For the continuing students, their money relieved us from the frustrations we usually go through at the start of the term, with suppliers on our necks.”
Because of the financial support, learning is never disrupted.
Nduma says most teachers in Mombasa have already completed their syllabus and are only revising to sharpen learners as they wait for their final examinations at the end of third term. “This money has cushioned us and given us a safe landing and peace. And I am sure at the end of the four years we are going to salvage 85 per cent of the youth in Mombasa.”
Since the scheme started, learner retention has improved to 85 per cent.
The Elimu Scheme evolved from Elimu Fund, established in 2014.
Board CEO John Musuva said 68,000 learners benefitted from the former Elimu Fund, which was selective.
They received Sh532 million between 2015 and 2023, when the fund changed to the current Elimu Scheme through amendment of the Mombasa County Education Development Act, 2014.
The law was repealed and replaced with the Mombasa County Elimu Scheme Act, 2023.
Musuva said the scheme is meant to increase transition rates and eliminate illiteracy amongst children and youth.
“It is meant to prioritise and facilitate quality child care and learning for every child and young person in Mombasa county.”
Since it started in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Elimu Scheme has disbursed bursaries to close to 31,000 secondary school students in the 135 day secondary schools.
In addition, 17,700 students from Mombasa learning outside the county have also benefitted.
“Some 374 Form 1 students are currently benefitting from the Governor’s scholarship programme for the next four years. They were selected from all the public primary schools in Mombasa,” Musuva said.
Some 11,000 students have also benefitted from the holiday mentorship programme in 49 public day schools.
Under the programme, which is part of the Elimu Scheme, learners are encouraged to visit public libraries during the April and August holidays, where they are given Sh300 each.
The learners receive Sh200 as fare to from the library daily for five days a week, and the Sh100 is sent to their schools as part of fees.
The learners study in the libraries for two hours and are then trained in life skills by hired coaches for another hour.
Musuva said this keeps the learners busy during the holidays.
