#BackToSchool
Fundraiser Launch: 22 February 2022
By Layne Meyer (U.S.), Better Me Fundraising and Partnerships Intern
Every April marks the beginning of a new journey for children and young people in Kenya. Schools have reopened after a monthslong break, inviting students back for another exciting year of learning, friendships and personal growth.
After they reach 8th Grade, however, many lower-income youth in Kenya cannot continue their education. Secondary school fees are too expensive for many families, and nearly 30% of students fail to advance past primary school level nationwide. Without this education, they will earn less than their peers with secondary degrees and their children will have limited educational opportunities in the future.
Better Me Education Fund (BMEF)
To break this cycle and expand education for those in need, the Better Me Education Fund offers bursaries to send deserving primary school graduates to high school. These graduates are Grade 8 students from the Korando Educational Centre, a longtime Better Me partner outside of Kisumu, Kenya, and the Fund currently enables 129 of them to achieve higher education by paying their tuition costs and covering living expenses for those living at school. This vital support reduces the financial burden on their families and empowers them to achieve better livelihoods in the years to come.
In addition to financial support, our dedicated social workers also provide group tutoring and mentorship services to Bursary students, ensuring they have the academic and emotional tools to thrive throughout their secondary education. Our social workers also hold “parent days” three times a year to hold individual sessions with each recipient and their caregivers, strengthening their support at home to further their educational and life goals.
As a current intern with Better Me, these experiences are more than just bullet points on our website – they shape the lives of countless young people every year. Over the past month, I have seen this impact firsthand, working with Bursary students in tutoring sessions on Sunday afternoons. In subjects from history to physics, their enthusiasm to learn and grow each week is palpable, expressing a desire to tackle daunting challenges both in and beyond the classroom.
Yet our work with these deserving young people would not be possible without financial contributions for the Education Fund, which has blossomed into a € 25,000 initiative covering tuition costs, boarding expenses, and other obligations for secondary school students. That is why Better Me is embarking on its latest annual campaign for the Education Fund, the #BacktoSchool Fundraiser. Our goal is to send our cohort of 129 Korando graduates back to secondary school this April by raising the annual budget of € 25,000 over the next six weeks.
To achieve this ambitious goal, we need the help of supporters like you, driven by a passion for education and youth empowerment, to champion our cause!
With our Fundraiser underway, you can join our cause in three ways: contributing directly to our donor page, purchasing a designer bag made here in Kisumu, or starting your own individual fundraiser to collect contributions.
100% of all proceeds will go directly towards the payment of tuition and boarding expenses for our students, and all donors are eligible to receive a tax receipt for their contribution.
Start Your Own Fundraiser: https://donorbox.org/backtoschool-by-betterme/fundraiser/new
Direct Contribution: https://donorbox.org/backtoschool-by-betterme
Purchase a Locally Made Bag: https://forms.gle/qGigar7g4GDzavg47
