Equity bank together with MasterCard Foundation and USAID to assist needy children

By Ben Kinyanjui

Equity Bank has partnered with the Master Card Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist children from needy families to acquire secondary education.Equity Bank CEO Mr James Mwangi says they target to assit 10,000 students

Under the Wings to Fly program launched earlier this year by President Mwai Kibaki, Equity Bank, Equity Group Foundation and The MasterCard Foundation with support from USAID will offer 2140 scholarships across the country to children from needy backgrounds who will attain 350 marks and above in this year’s KCPE examinations.

Equity Bank Group Managing Director James Mwangi confirmed that deserving students from needy family backgrounds countrywide are encouraged to apply for the scholarships.

The Equity Bank boss who also chairs the Equity Group Foundation appealed to members of the public to widely share this information to ensure that all deserving and eligible children get the chance to apply for the comprehensive secondary school scholarships.

The Wings to Fly education scholarship and leadership development program, Mr Mwangi explained covers tuition, books, uniforms and pocket money for students who are academically gifted yet economically and socially marginalized.

“Candidates, who come from very humble backgrounds, are financially needy and who will score 350 marks and above in this year’s KCPE are invited to present themselves to the nearest Equity Bank branch or Equity Bank Agents where they will collect application forms as soon as the results are released,” Dr. Mwangi explained.

“Students should carry their results slips or a letter from their head teacher as evidence of their score in order to be issued with the application forms. Only very needy children who will score 350 marks and above, and who, without the scholarship would not be able to join form one will be eligible to apply.”

Upon application, shortlisted students will subsequently be invited for oral interviews that will be conducted by the Equity Group Foundation district scholarship selection board.

Following the Wings to Fly launch early in January this year, more than 1200 students who sat for their KCPE last year managed to access the comprehensive scholarships.

Of the current 1200 Wings to Fly scholars, 400 attend national schools while more than 800 attend provincial schools countrywide.

“This is part of our scholarship initiative to assist 10,000 deserving students to go through secondary school education.  We appeal to all members of the public to share this information widely to ensure that all deserving and eligible children get the chance to apply for these scholarships,” said Mwangi.