Recognizing that financial constraints remain a leading cause of school dropouts and poverty cycles, NeGI’s Sponsorship Program aims to directly support education for orphans, vulnerable children, and persons with disabilities. A significant number of Kenyan students leave school due to financial constraints: although primary education is free, approximately 27% of primary school dropouts and 25.6% of secondary aged youth are prevented from attending school because families can’t afford fees, uniforms, or other costs (nehemia-team.org). Only approximately 50% of Standard 8 leavers transition to secondary school, largely due to inability to pay required fees and levies . In secondary schools, about 38% of out of school youth could not enroll due to costs, with 25% specifically citing school fees as the main barrier (gjournals.org). Even after “free” secondary education was introduced, hidden charges; such as uniforms, exam fees, boarding, and activity levies,still present unaffordable barriers for low income families (theconversation.com).
These figures highlight the urgent need for sponsorship programs, bursaries, and policy reform to eliminate hidden costs and ensure equitable access to education.
Counties like Makueni, Turkana, and parts of Kisumu face extremely high poverty levels, with many families surviving on less than one dollar per day, making school fees and basic needs unattainable. According to the Kenya Economic Survey 2023, over 1.2 million children are at risk of dropping out due to inability to pay fees. This program will identify needy students through school networks, local administrations, and community leaders, and will facilitate comprehensive support—including tuition fees, uniforms, meals, transport, and learning materials. Special attention will be given to girls, children with disabilities, and those in foster care. NeGI will build partnerships with corporate sponsors, diaspora-based well-wishers, local businesses, and government bursary programs to sustain this initiative. The goal is to provide equal access to education and empower underprivileged children to complete school and pursue meaningful careers that give back to their communities.