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The Lewa Education Programme (LEP) supports the delivery of quality education to local communities within 23 supported government schools through scholarships, teacher support, digital literacy and infrastructure.

We are helping to remove barriers to education and opportunities for more than 8,000 children annually.

Every year, more children than we are able to help, come to us for support. It’s for that reason that we have set up a Bursary Pool Fund. This fund helps us to better meet their growing needs and ensure continued financial support during their academic endeavors. In return, these children and their communities become wildlife and conservation champions, while breaking the cycle of poverty one family at a time.

The Lewa Bursary Pool Fund

Lewa’s methodology for many programmes corresponds with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which aim to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In particular, the LEP closely aligns with Sustainable Goal number four – aiming to ensure inclusive and quality education for all by 2030. The Lewa Bursary Pool Fund, started in 2018, allows for this inclusivity and quality of education for students throughout their secondary school education. Each year, through this fund, the LEP strives to support 50 students for the entirety of their secondary education, including support for tuition fees, uniforms, school supplies shopping, transport, and special programmes and mentoring in life skills and workplace readiness. The LEP is currently benefiting 323 students with 41% being supported by the Bursary Pool Fund.

The LEP saw great success in the graduates of the Bursary Programme earlier this year, with half (52%) of graduates achieving the necessary grades to qualify for a place at University. In addition, five students (3 of them being Bursary Pool Fund students) achieved A’s in their exams. These fantastic results can be attributed in no small part to our dedicated LEP team, who were all committed to ensuring students gained access to quality education throughout, despite challenges such as lack of internet connectivity and long distance travel into school, and of course our generous Bursary Pool Fund donors whose funds ensured the students stayed in school.

Aside from getting bursaries, the students have also been paying it forward by volunteering to empower other children in the local primary schools with digital literacy skills and also assisted in various roles during the annual Lewa Safari Marathon.

Stories from those benefitting from the Pool Fund

Ann Nyawira is 14 years old and from Ngarendare, the eldest child in a family of four. She has aspirations of becoming a pilot when she grows up. Ann, together with her three brothers, is raised by a single mother who is a casual labourer. With the unpredictable weather patterns like drought in the region, it has been really difficult for her mother to feed her family. Despite these challenges, Ann remained determined in her studies and, eventually, her grit paid off when she sat for her national exams at Kanyunga Primary and managed to score 332/500 marks, making her the top girl in her school. She has been admitted to secondary school and will be fully supported by the pool fund. She will continue pursing her desire to be a pilot.

Collins Mwenda is 17 years old from Ngarendare. Collins was born and raised in a very humble background and due to a lack of funding whilst in primary school, his schooling was delayed. As a result, he joins secondary school late, as at his age, he should already be in his third year of high school. However, he is very excited to be given this opportunity to realise his dreams of being a surgeon. He schooled in Kanyunga primary where he sat for his national exams and managed to score 326/500 marks. He has been admitted to Ontulili Boys secondary. Collins likes playing football and reading story books.

 

Mendila Kodei was born in 2006 in Sang’a. She comes from a family of six where she stays with both her parents who are casual labourers. Mendila schooled at Sang’a Primary where she sat for her national exams and managed to score 302/500 marks and emerged the top girl in her school. She has been admitted to Gikumene Girls. Mendila loves reading novels and when she grows up, she would love to be a nurse.

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