What sort of work does the KIMbia Foundation do? It may be a cliche, but it’s true–making the world better by changing one life at a time. A lot of contributions to the foundation are devoted to paying secondary school fees for needy students. (In Kenya, primary education is free; annual fees for a secondary boarding school are approximately half of Kenya’s per capital income, and therefore out of reach for much of the population.)
Donors to the foundation who wish to support education are linked with a specific student. Here’s a letter our foundation’s Peter Vigneron sent to one such donor on behalf of Faith Kosgei, a sponsored student at Singore Girls School in Iten. To learn more about the foundation, including how to contribute, visit the foundation’s page elsewhere on our site.
James,
I’m writing to give you a quick update on your student, Faith Kosgei.
I met with Faith last week at Singore and had the opportunity to speak with her for a few minutes. I’ve also asked her to compose a letter to you, and I hope you’ll receive it within a few weeks. We’re collecting letters and then sending them to the United States with some of the KIMbia athletes traveling for spring races, so it’s a slow (but reliable) process.
I’ve already sent you some of Faith’s biographical information, but this time it’s straight from her, so if I’m repeating myself please forgive me. Faith is a form three student, and one of the smartest in her class. She put together a good record in primary school, and was asked to attend Singore after doing well on the national primary school exam. Singore is one of the best secondary schools in Kenya, so an invitation to attend is a big deal.
Faith, however, is one of six children, and her parents were concerned about tuition at Singore. They wanted her to attend the local day school, which is cheaper (no boarding fees) but like most day schools in Kenya, it is massively over crowded, and the quality of education is very, very low. Faith convinced her mother to take out a loan, and has been struggling to pay fees for the past two years. Last year she was unable to meet full tuition expenses, and would most likely have been sent home this year if not for your scholarship. Actually—your contribution covers her fees until graduation and the balance left unpaid from last year as well.
I’ve taken another picture of Faith and have attached it to this email.
Thanks James,
Peter Vigneron
