Help support a student to attend secondary school

Dear readers,

You may remember the MCEDO-Beijing school where Cosmos Education Kenya held the Holiday Science Learning Camp in August 2007. We have learned that all 15 of the pupils in standard 8 have passed the national primary school exam, which qualifies the students to attend secondary school.

This is a huge achievement for an informal school that does not have certified teachers. The students all worked extremely hard to pass the national exam and get a chance to go to secondary school. They all deserve the chance to continue their education.

We like to think that the week long camp held by Cosmos Education Kenya likely prepared the students for success in some key science topics. We are fundraising to try to send at least a few students to boarding school up country. Boarding school in the norm for secondary school in Kenya, and would remove the students from the unhealthy environment of the slum. The alternative is that they will stay around looking for work, ending their education at age 14. The students have been accepted to two secondary schools in central Kenya, where they would live on campus. The cost of one year tuition, including board and meals is 18,000 Kenyan Shillings, which is US$ 268.65.

If you, or anyone you know could help support a student to go to school please email caitlinATcosmoseducationDOTorg

You will be able to send funds through Paypal and we will deposit it directly in the bank account of the school, or you can wire money directly to the school's bank in Kenya. In case anyone would like to support a student through all four years, my colleagues Perter Kanja and Evalyn Mwihia have agreed to continue with the logistics of paying the fees during this time. Also let us know if you are able to support half ( US$ 136) or one third ( $90) of tuition and we can pair people together to cover the cost to support one student.

Education is the best gift we can give. I know these children will be so grateful for the chance to keep learning, even for one more year. And with the added bonus that they will get to move out of the slum. If you ever have benefited from a scholarship or a student loan, this is a great chance to give back to someone who really needs help.

Please pass this on to anyone else that may be interested, and let us know about any organizations that might be able to help. The next term starts in April.

Thank you,

The Cosmos Education Kenya team