Since inception, the scholarship programme has benefitted 586 secondary school students, 400 undergraduate students and 23 graduate students in the two counties.
The Finlays Community Trust today awarded 20 students bound to join secondary school with a scholarship to cover their four-year education. The students who hail from Bomet and Kericho counties each received a maximum of Kes. 50,000 annual fees totalling to a collated value of Kes. 4,000,000 over their period of study.
Speaking during the award ceremony, the Chairperson of the Trust said, “Education plays a pivotal role to our society’s future. At the Finlays Community Trust, we recognize and value the community’s need for human capital, and providing scholarships is one of the most reliable ways to foster long-term growth and sustainability in this area. Since education is a resource that no one can take away from children in our community, we are driven to make sure they have access to it. I urge all the beneficiaries to approach this new stage of education knowing that they are bright and can conquer any challenges as they have a community behind them.”
At a time when the world is rapidly changing, scholarships are key in providing a level playing field for students from underprivileged communities to have a sustainable path to success. The Trust’s secondary school scholarship which has been running for over 30 years has so far benefited over five hundred and eighty-six (586) students at a total cost of Kes. 53.5 million.
In addition to the secondary school scholarships, the Trust has also been providing scholarships to undergraduate students to pursue higher education in local universities as well as the Swire Masters scholarship where students are admitted to universities in the United Kingdom, an intentional move to expose them to different cultures and enable them to acquire the much-needed soft skills in professional spaces.
Further, the Trust has also held mentorship sessions at St. Monica Chebangang Girls’, Chepkoton, Sosiot Girls, Cheborge Boys, Cheborge Girls, Kapkisiara Girls, Chebonei Girls, and Tenwek Boys secondary schools since the program’s commencement in mid-last year; enabling students to grow wholesomely thereby giving them the necessary life skills to navigate life after school and succeed in their careers.
The Finlays Community Trust was officially launched in 2021 as an independent charitable trust to replace Finlays Charitable Trust. The Trust aims to empower communities and nurture sustainable growth in Kericho and Bomet Counties. To achieve this, the Trust has been guided by its mission to create sustainable, long-term impact by supporting a variety of projects and initiatives across the strategic pillars of education, infrastructure, health and disaster relief. The Trust is funded collaboratively by both James Finlay (Kenya) Limited, soon to be Browns Plantations Kenya and Finlays Extracts Kenya Limited.
For further information please visit https://www.finlayscommunitytrust.co.ke/
