Equity Bank to give 2,000 scholarships to needy KCPE candidates

Some beneficiaries of Equity Group Foundation 'Wings of Fly' scholarships celebrate on January 16, 2015 during official commissioning of the foundation. The foundation will give 2,000 secondary school scholarships to 2015 KCPE candidates. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP  

In Summary

• Equity Group Foundation will give secondary school scholarships to 2,000 students.
• Candidates must have scored 350 marks in 2015 KCPE to qualify.
• Applications begin on December 30, 2015 and ends on January 6, 2016.
• Shortlisted students will be invited for interviews to be conducted by the Equity Group Foundation Regional Scholarship Selection Board.

By MARYANNE GICOBI
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Equity Group Foundation will give scholarships to some 2,000 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates.

To qualify for the comprehensive secondary school scholarships, the 2015 KCPE candidates must have scored 350 marks in the examinations whose results will be released on Wednesday.

According to the foundation’s Managing Director, Ms Hellen Gichohi, the release of the KCPE results will open the application period for the scholarships which will run from December 30 and close on January 6.

RESULT SLIPS

“We encourage applicants to present themselves to the nearest Equity Bank branch or Equity agent with their KCPE result slips and letters of introduction from their respective head teachers confirming their results in order to be issued with scholarships application forms,” said Ms Gichohi.

Ms Gichohi said the programme is tailor made to provide financial and related relief to needy academic achievers from financially constrained backgrounds who would otherwise not afford to join Form One without financial support.

(READ: 'Wings to Fly' has benefited 10,000 students, says CEO)

“Apart from school fees, the scholarships cater for transport, pocket money, shopping, books and uniform costs for students throughout their four years of secondary school education,” said Ms Gichohi.

EQUITY BRANCH MANAGERS

Shortlisted students, she added, will be invited for interviews to be conducted by the Equity Group Foundation Regional Scholarship Selection Board (RSSB).

The RSSB comprises at least 12 local community stakeholders, two of who must be women, – including chiefs, educationists, civil society leaders, Equity Bank agent representatives and religious leaders in the county and is chaired by the County Education Officer and coordinated by the respective Equity Bank branch managers.

The shortlisting of the beneficiaries will be done on January 7, 2016, followed by interviews on January 8 and 9 January 2016.
Thereafter, home visits will be between January 10 and 13.

The 2016 Wings To Fly cohort will all travel to Nairobi for induction on January 15, 2016, before joining their respective schools.