Student scholarship Program

Changing Lives - one student at a time

Student scholarship Program - 2021

The CPG’s student scholarship program, which began with 15 secondary school students in 2006, is flourishing and continues to be one of the most efficient educational scholarship programs in existence in the developing world. 

As of June 2021 a total of 253 young Kenyans have been offered student scholarships by CPG. From this total, 166 students, who were presented with scholarships in the past, are no longer being sponsored. 

Out of these 166 students:

•   7 dropped out of secondary school for various reasons (pregnancy, mental health)

• 16 went as far as a secondary school graduation

•   143 eventually graduated from college or university which is 70.4% of all students who passed through the student scholarship program

Presently, in 2021, CPG is actively sponsoring 87 students:

• 3 attending a primary boarding school (foster children)

• 34 attending secondary boarding schools

•     50 attending post-secondary institutions - colleges and universities

CPG is very fortunate to have a connection with the Kitchener Rotary Cub. A few years ago a retired professor from Laurier University, Dr. Audrey Wipper, left a large financial endowment to be managed by the Kitchener Rotary Club, and used to support young women in developing countries to further their education at post-secondary schools in their country. As a result, the Rotary African Women’s Education Fund (R.A.W.E.F.) was set up, and we at CPG have benefitted as a result. Financial support from the R.A.W.E.F. has allowed us to offer scholarships to many talented, financial needy, female students, graduating from various secondary schools in the Bondo region to attend universities throughout Kenya. These are young women who were not supported by C.P.G. while in secondary school. Since 2009 a total of 44 young women have been presented with R.A.W.E.F. scholarships. By the end of 2021 a total of 20 of these students will have graduated from various Kenyan universities with degrees in finance, medicine, law, education etc. The remaining 24 young women will, during the 2021-2022 academic year, be actively attending university with 6 each in years 1,2,3 and 4.

Update on COVID-19 and Student scholarship

As a result of the covid-19 pandemic, all primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools shut down their facilities in mid-March, 2020. During the time span from March to early October some universities offered virtual lessons, but that proved to be problematic for most of our sponsored students due to insufficient technology for accessing the internet when living at home in remote areas. In early October 2020 all schools, primary, secondary and post-secondary, began to re-open in a phased approach however, the ongoing pandemic resulted in further closures for some students throughout 2020.

Current Status related to Covid - June 2021

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and resulting cancellations, the 2021 school year for primary and secondary school students will begin on July 26, 2021, instead of the usual beginning time of January 1, 2021. The 2021 school year will end March 4, 2022, after which national exams will be written for form 4 (K.C.S.E.) and standard 8 (K.C.P.E.) students. The 2020-21 academic year for most of our post-secondary students is presently taking place, and it is assumed that the 2021-22 academic year may not begin before September, 2021, and possibly not until January, 2022.

How are Students Accepted for the Program?

The Matangwe Community Health & Development Program (MCHDP) provides oversight for the program in Matangwe. Potential recipients of student scholarships must complete an application and undergo a selection process that include, an interview by staff, a sub-committee of the MCHDP board of directors and a consultative process with respective village elders to verify need. Students are selected based on their results on the national exams that all grade 8 graduates must write, the Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (worth 45%), financial need (worth 45%), and citizenship (worth 10%). Most of the successful recipients are either total or partial orphans. At  least 50% of recipients must be female.

We are Proud of Our Graduates

A total of eight of our sponsored, form 4 students wrote the national exams in April, 2021, in order to graduate (2020 school year), and obtain their Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (K.C.S.E.). The results were as follows: 1A-, 3B's, 1B-, 2C+'s, 1D+

Any student with a B or better result would place in the top 6.3% of all
Kenyan students writing these exams.
Seven of the eight students obtained a C+ or better result, placing all 7 in
the top 19.2% of all Kenya students writing these exams.
The one student, who obtained an A- result, would place in the top 0.98% of all
Kenyan students writing these exams.

The vast majority of our graduates are eventually finding employment as a result of their post-secondary education. It may begin as an internship, then a contract position, and finally a full-time position. It is a testament to the program, our generous sponsors but most of all to the students for their hard work, perseverance and discipline. Congratulations!