KTN Dau La Elimu Interview

EFAC Scholars Willis Oyugi and Abigail Hadassa participated in an interview with Benson, EFAC Program Manager, on the KTN (Kenya Television Network). The segment, "Dau La Elimu" ("News on Education", or literally, "A boat for education" in Swahili), was hosted by reporter Frank Otieno.

At the time, November 2022, Hadassa was a Form 3 student at Alliance High School and Willis was in his 3rd year of studying medicine and surgery at Kenyatta University. They each shared their experiences joining EFAC and moving through the program, as well as hopes for the future, their own and those for their families, community and country.

This interview with KTN’s Frank Otieno is primarily in Swahili. EFAC alumna and 2022 Communications Intern, Linet provided us with a transcription in English, so you can follow along or simply read the interview. Enjoy!

Part 1:

00:03: Frank Otieno: Greetings to you, lovely viewers. It is my pleasure to welcome you this Sunday to a program that looks into issues to do with education in Kenya in detail on KTN News. Today we are focusing on children from poor backgrounds who are doing very well academically. Lack of school fees is a big challenge in a student’s education if they have goals in life. Today, I have guests from Education For All Children, EFAC, who will give us insights and inspire those who are giving up on the road to education.

Hello and welcome. My name is Frank Otieno. In the studio I have my brother, Benson Masero. He is the head of programs at EFAC. Welcome, Benson.

00:58: Benson Masero: Thank you.

00:59: Frank: Next to him is a lady who is a beneficiary of this program. She is none other than [Abigail] Hadassa Kainda from Alliance Girls High School. She is a Form 3 student. Hello, my sister.

01:10: Hadassa: I am fine.

01:11: Frank: Welcome to our studio. How is Alliance?

01:14: Hadassa: Alliance is very good.

01:16: Frank: Which county are you from? | Hadassa: Kitui.

01:19: Frank: So you are from Kitui? | Hadassa: Yes.

01:21: Frank: Next to her is Willis Oyugi. He is also a beneficiary of this program that is assisting children from poor backgrounds. Willis Oyugi is a student from Kenyatta University. Willis, how is KU?

01:35: Willis: It is very good.

01:37: Frank: I see you are very lively. I can see you are very happy to come to KTN station.

01:41: Willis: It is my pleasure.

01:43: Frank: Let us start with you. How did it happen and why did these people help you?

01:49: Willis: From the start there was a big school fee problem. When I finished primary school education there was a problem getting school fees so that I can get to my dream school. So, that was when I found one of the EFAC forms. I filled it out and that was when I got a chance to come and join them.

02:18: Frank: Which course are you doing currently at Kenyatta University?

02:20: Willis: I am doing Bachelor’s of Medicine and Surgery.

02:26: Frank: So if you didn’t get this opportunity then that chance would have just disappeared?

02:34: Willis: Yes, there was a big chance because if I didn’t join the school, I wouldn’t have performed to the fullest of my abilities. It’s been a very good opportunity that has trusted me to become who I am today.

02:54: Frank: Hadassa Kainda, I am coming back to you. Give us a real picture of the environment that you were found in. How hard was it to get school fees to the point that you are being sponsored by EFAC?

03:05: Hadassa: I remember when I was in standard 8 [class 8/8th grade], I did not know… [Frank: Which school were you at? Abigail: I was at Machakos Primary School]. There was a CRE teacher. When he realized that my family were incapable of taking me to school, he gave us the [EFAC] forms. There were only two in our school. My friend and I applied. Then, I got the chance.

03:38: Frank: You haven’t given me a clear picture of the kind of poverty that prevented you from getting secondary school fees.

03:46: Hadassa: I remember when I was in class 8, we reached a point where we could not even buy food. My mother was crying every day. Every day as I went to school, I was remembering how the situation was back at home. I was unable to get out of the situation. I did not know how I would get an education. And even if I work hard, how will I go to my dream school, which is Alliance? [Alliance is frequently ranked as the top high school in Kenya.]

But every time, my class teacher, the other teachers and my classmates encouraged me. I even remember one day my Kiswahili teacher and English teacher volunteered to buy us food. The took me home that night. My mother was so surprised and we thanked God.

04:40: Frank: Thank you. Now to you my brother, Benson Masero. You are the head of all of this, together with your organization. How many students have you impacted so far and how are you making sure it is benefitting them?

04:45: Benson: Yes, thank you, Frank. We are trying to help the community so that the kids can get an education. Our aim is to educate them so that they are empowered and are ready in nation-building. I know you are well versed in education being a very important pillar in our country. Now, our organization was founded in 2008 by sponsors from the USA. They visited our country. They found kids loitering in the streets. They came together with the Vice Chancellor of Nazarene [Africa Nazarene University], Prof. Leah Marangu. So the program was started with two children. But we continue to increase the numbers and now we have more than 840 students who have been impacted by this program. Some are in secondary schools, around 375. There are more than 200 in university. Some have graduated and are now working. They are the ones who mentor to inspire others through belief and getting access to relevant information.

06:34: Frank: I want to get the full picture. When do you start sponsoring a student and up to when? Tell me how you guys go about it.

06:45: Benson: First thing, when students are joining class 8, when they get registered, we normally distribute the application forms. We collaborate with communities all over the country. There are primary schools that are our partners. There are other grassroots organizations, so students get forms through them. They apply, then we go through those forms. We look for things like leadership.

07:25: Frank: There is one thing that I want to get clear and the viewer wants to know. Where are the students from and what’s their journey?

07:37: Benson: When they apply, we look at the application and we pick the most deserving ones in the end, around 100 of them. They join secondary schools. We also collaborate with teachers when they are in secondary school. We don’t just pay the school fees. We also provide mentorship, community service and encouragement. We also take them through career development, so they can pick subjects that are in accordance with their vision. After that, after finishing KCSE [high school exit exams], they will come together with us and we take them to the next level.

08:23: Frank: I wanted to hear that, because I am told you guys support the child until the end? You do not drop along the way?

08:30: Benson: We do not drop them. | Frank: You take them to the next level? | Benson: We take them until they graduate. After university, we also walk with them. We talk with different stakeholders and other people who can help us, so the graduates can be given practical skills through internships and attachments. Sometimes we help them get employment.

08:58: Frank: I think this is a very important thing for other Kenyans following this program. I need you, my fellow citizens following this show on KTN News, to join us through our Twitter handle so that we can have a discussion. I can see here that Jabes Ojwang tweeted: “EFAC financed my study from Mfangano Island, an area with a high level of illiteracy. I studied at Kanga School, scored an A- and currently am studying Bachelor’s of Law at JKUAT University. I am still part of the EFAC family and I am grateful for their support.”

09:46: Benson: Jabes is a very good, intelligent young man.

09:51: Frank: Let’s go back to you. I still haven’t heard your story. Where did EFAC find you? Be cheerful, you know you have already been assisted! Aren’t you happy about this kind of assistance? Where are you from?

10:12: Willis: I went to Kiguru Primary School. I am from Karachonyo Constituency. | Frank: Homabay County? | Willis: Yes. In that school, there wasn’t much to do. We didn’t even have a library.

10:28: Frank: Please communicate in Swahili. This show is in Swahili.

10:33: Willis: We didn’t have the proper infrastructure in school, things like a library. So, we put in a lot of effort. Then I joined St. Mary’s High School in Nyeri. After that, four years later, I got good grades.

10:56: Frank: Were the school fees being paid by EFAC?

10:58: Willis: Yes. They were in charge of everything and my biggest task was to go to school and learn. Then after that we did the KCSE exams and I did very well and joined Kenyatta University to study medicine.

11:20: Frank: Doctor Willis Oyugi! What year are you in now?

11:26: Willis: I am almost finishing my third year.

11:29: Frank: I wish you all the best for the hard work you have put in. I can even see that you have dressed like a doctor. And even doctors don’t talk that much. It is very different for us journalists, we talk a lot. Back to you, Hadassa Kainda. Right now you are in Form 3. What promise to you make to you sponsors and what are your goals in education?

11:59: Hadassa: First of all, I have a desire to become an engineer, aerospace engineering. I want to work with NASA. That is National Aeronautics and Space Authority. It is in America. And to my sponsors, know that I study hard and I guarantee that everything they have invested in me will not be in vain. And to others like me who haven’t gotten this opportunity, they should never give up. Everyone is capable. Everyone has a chance to improve themselves. I say thank you to EFAC.

12:48: Frank: I am very pleased to hear from you, the students who have been impacted through this program. Ben Masero, back to you. Normal Kenyans might not know there is this kind of program for these kinds of students. I want you to give us a clear picture, especially for those who are extremely talented in class but have no support at home.

13:14: Benson: I know there are a lot of people who do not have resources. There are other organizations that work together with us. We try to work together with them, and also the government. We partner with them so that we can reduce the cost of education, so that it becomes affordable. So that a parent, so that at least every child can get equal opportunity. We will continue to do this work as long as we have the capacity to do so. We would also like to ask others who are interested if they can partner with us so we can expand, so that we can have a lot of resources, so we can reach out to the community. There are a lot of communities and a lot of children. Our country is so big and almost 1 million kids are taking the KCPE [primary school exit exam taken in 8th grade].

14:26: Frank: You have got one from Homabay and the other one from Kitui.

14:30: Benson: We are all over the country. [Lists several counties in Kenya]

14:37: Frank: You say where there is a will, there is a way. | Benson: There is always a way.

14:41: Frank: For those who will love this, let’s talk about the recent graduation. How many of them graduated?

14:46: Benson: Like I said earlier, we started with only two students and we have seen numbers going up and up. Thirty-two of them graduated [this year]. We had a graduation ceremony. The director of FKE [Federation of Kenya Employers] was the chief guest, Jacqueline Mugo. You know, those are the employers we connect them with. We have done our work to walk with them.

15:27: Frank: You were very strategic!

15:30: Benson: There were 32. We have many organizations that we work with so they can get internships after university. Of course there is a lack of opportunities and jobs, but still some employers say that they are unable to get students who are hardworking and go-getters. So, even when the opportunities are few, yes, the students also need to show that they can do something. We also encourage them to go back and help the community where they came from, like Hadassa and Willis, after graduation. You know the doctor will be obligated to go back and help the community. Hadassa as an engineer should come back and help us take care of others from the rural areas.

16:23: Frank: Hadassa, I look at you and you seem like a lady who is very serious about her studies and your vision. You can be an inspiration to anyone out there who might be giving up on life. Do you have a message for young ladies who are giving up and opting to go into marriage?

16:47: Hadassa: To be honest, it is not easy. It is one thing to have a goal and another thing to accomplish it. The only thing I can say is everyone should be ready to put in the effort and to work hard on a certain thing. Because you go to school from home, you stay in class, listen to the teacher and when your own time for studying comes, you find that you cannot. So, it is very easy to misuse your time. But never give up. I have also gone through that and I know I will reach my goal. And if I can, you can also.

17:36: Frank: If I can ask you, Mr. Masero. If you go to these students’ homes, is it true that there is poverty or did they just trick you guys and you started paying their fees.

17:46: Benson: As an organization, we want transparency and also to support those who really need it. That is why we take all of these steps to make sure we are supporting those who really deserve it. They apply and we go through their applications. We mask the questions. There are interviews. We also talk with the parents and ask them several questions. They tell us their situation and there are also references. We can also speak with the school, the primary school. There are a lot of structures that we use. That is why most students who get into this program, are those who, if we didn’t come through, would not be able to continue with education.

18:35: Frank: So, for example, at your place in Karachonyo. How was the situation? Do you have both your parents and how are you economically?

18:44: Willis: I lost my mother when I was in class 6. My father was really trying, but you will find that the responsibilities were so many. I am the youngest of 5 siblings, so you find that the small amount you do have is divided. So, you cannot get everything that you need.

19:12: Frank: On Twitter, I can see somebody called Khadija Mahmud, “Being one of the beneficiaries, I am very proud to be part of the team. An organisation where young people discover who they are and get to put their dreams into reality/action. Thank you EFAC!!!!” How long has EFAC been around?

19:39: Benson: Since 2008, so around 14-15 years now.

19:46: Frank: [Lists many of the names of people responding on Twitter] Now, if we can get back to the issue of transparency. [I can see someone calling live in studio.] On transparency, Kenyans have… trust issues. So when they see a program like this one, they might think a politician might wish to be the one who brings his own people and goes on to brag about assisting the students. What do you have to say about that?

21:16: Benson: We are not affiliated with any political party. We are independent, a non-governmental institution. We have sponsors who are independent as well. Their aim is to see that the kids have access to education. We are very transparent, so, we start with those who are genuinely in need of help.

21:45: Frank: Before we continue there is Cecilia Kidiga [on Twitter]: “Coming from the deep interiors of Naivasha EFAC saw great potential in me and they made me a part of their family. I am an alumnus of Vanessa Grant Girls' School currently in the University of Nairobi pursuing Bachelors Degree in Industrial Chemistry. Thank You EFAC.” Ahhh, so you have such great minds! When they get there, where do they work?

22:13: Benson: Some have graduated and they are doing well. We normally tell them to come back and mentor the others. We have a lot of trainings that we do, life skills and many other things, so that we have well-rounded students, who can forget the challenges they had and focus. And you know by 2030, we [Kenya] want to be a knowledge economy, and the little we can do to help that, we already started doing it.

22:58: Frank: Another one from Twitter, Mary K., “The very best scholarship to brag about! The future is bright!”

23:07: Benson: That is our director [Mary Kiguru, EFAC Country Director].

23:17: Frank: I still think that no one should give up and to the students wanting to give up after KCSE… There is something I have forgotten, if you take me after Form 4, then I go on to join KU like my friend here. Then at KU, God forbid, I fail my exams. Do I now become an enemy of EFAC?

23:50: Benson: Our aim is to help the community. That is why, apart from paying school fees, we talk with them. You will find that EFAC, we are everywhere, we collaborate with other institutions so that every term and semester, we make sure that the students do not get off track. If there is something that could prevent someone from performing well, we try to come in so that we can understand where the problem started. That is something we call academic advising, so that someone doesn’t lose focus. And our current students, they are very hardworking and with this structure we do not have a lot of failures at this level.

24:44: Frank: [Reading from Twitter] Chege_KE says, “Following the show from JKUAT...I'm greatful to be part of EFAC family.” It looks like many students have benefited from this program.

24:57: Benson: They have started from Form 1. We start from Form 1, you cannot get in after that. You stay with us for around 8 years, and for doctors it is 10, you know, for medicine and surgery takes longer. Four years in college, and then we work with you during transition to the world of work. Through connections and other career development initiatives that we have put in place, we work in collaboration with employers and things like that. So all that communicating, we are like a family. You stay with us for 8 years and each year you come to workshops. We talk and professional mentors come to motivate the students.

25:50: Frank: How about TVET?

25:54: Benson: Yes, there are some technical schools. In this program, at Form 4, you know, there is a student who can say, I wanted to do engineering, but I scored a C+. So they can opt to go to TVET, technical schools, so that they can pursue their dreams. There are some who will go to KMTC [Kenya Medical Training College].

26:29: Frank: KMTC lately is very good. They offer higher diplomas that are equivalent to a degree.

26:34: Benson: We also collaborate with Dedan Kimathi [Dedan Kimathi University of Technology], they have a section of TVET. So we give students a chance, so that someone can do something they see will be beneficial.

26:51: Frank: Doctor Willis, tell us about your time at St. Mary’s High School in Nyeri. Did you have visitors? To see that you were comfortable and staying focused in class?

27:14: Willis: At St. Mary’s, life was a little bit hard, but you have to put in the work. EFAC gave us pocket money that covered our transportation for going home and back because transportation was costly. Then they would visit us as an office. They have days to come and visit us, for us to tell them our problems as we continue in school. Also my family, I have brothers who would visit sometimes when they were nearby.

28:01: Frank: Coming to you young lady, Hadassa Kainda. At Alliance, does the school know that you are being funded by EFAC, or only you know?

28:17: Hadassa: The schools knows. We also have a teacher who looks after us. My friends [other EFAC Scholars] and I are not alone in our school. We are like a family at school. There are days that we meet, laugh and talk. We socialize. We assist each other on issues that are bothering us as students. And also the teacher… Our teacher is Mrs. Okongo. She teaches Kiswahili. She is a Kiswahili teacher. [Frank: What’s her name?] Okongo Elizabeth. She encourages us every time. Sometimes she calls me and gives me a message to tell the others. We know each other.

28:58: Frank: Sometimes, do you come together and pray, thanking God for this journey you have? Or don’t you believe in God?

29:04: Hadassa: Between us there are different religions, so it is not common to find us praying together.

29:18: Frank: I want to challenge you when you go back, because it is God who has brought you so far. It doesn’t matter which religion you come from, just come together and talk about God. Thank him for the journey, okay?

29:32: Hadassa: Yes.

29:33: Frank: How is that, my brother?

29:35: Benson: It is very important.

29:38: Frank: I am told it is time for a break, but today we have a topic that is enlightening and it also inspires students who are giving up because of lack of school fees. I have guests here in the studio, Benson Masero of EFAC, Hadassa from Alliance and Willis of Kenyatta University. They are here to tell us what they do in detail. My name is Frank Otieno, don’t go far.

***

Part 2:

00:15: Frank Otieno: Hello and welcome to the second part of our program. We have Hadassa Kainda from Alliance Girls and ‘Doctor’ Willis Oyugi from Kenyatta [University], and Benson Masero from EFAC, Education For All Children. These are the children. [Reading from Twitter] “Just because of EFAC, I have been mentored, nurtured and exposed to the real world. Right now, I have made a tremendous move as far as my career is concerned. I am doing Mechanical Engineering at Technical University of Kenya.” Your students are at a higher level?

01:14: Benson: You know, we take the top performers.

01:20: Frank: So those who perform very well, but do not have a chance?

01:26: Benson: So we make sure they get what they want. We take from 380 marks and above [on the KCPE]. That can also change depending on the need. Numbers have gone up lately and there are a lot of challenges. We can get 1,000 applications, but we only take 100. We are happy because of the ones who were are taking, they are making us proud, they are doing well.

01:54: Frank: Remind me, what structures are you using to make sure that you are getting these students?

02:01: Benson: We work with many organizations. Like in Migori, we work with Lwala, and other organizations that works within the community. In Nairobi, we work with Shofco. In Karem, Kicoshep. There are other organizations, grassroots, that mobilize. Also, there are individuals who get the form to apply. So, we are all over, across the country. We make sure that every year, that in every county, 47 of them, that in the 800+ students, every county is represented.

02:47: Frank: Tom Kim Baraza, who is a big fan of this show says [on Twitter] “Congratulations to all the organizations and individuals who are helping many children from poor backgrounds. The government should put in place measures to ensure all students go to school.” Thank you Tom Kim Baraza. He is a teacher from Nakuru High School.

03:15: Benson: Yes, we have our students there. He assists a lot. We are at Nakuru High School, they are part of the school network we work with.

03:28: Frank: I would also like to know the kinds of schools that you work with, and how do they perform in national exams?

03:38: Benson: The schools that these children come from in the rural areas, they are unknown.

03:52: Frank: They come from unknown primary schools and go to known high schools.

03:57: Benson: They start there and we encourage and motivate them. They also take good courses and pursue their dreams. When you look at how they get…

04:20: Frank: You do not find students who come from well-known primary schools? [To Hadassa] Remind me where you went to primary school? [Hadassa: Machakos.] What did you score on the KCPE?

04:38: Hadassa: 417 [For reference, this is a very high score, in the top .2% of scores out of over 1 million students taking the test in 2019, when Hadassa sat for the exam.]

04:39: Frank: Wow, 417! What year?

04:44: Hadassa: 2019.

04:46: Frank: And you were called to join Alliance? | Hadassa: yes.

04:51: Frank: What if you don’t get the NASA job?

5:01: Hadassa: To be honest, I have tried to think about it, but so far I haven’t found anything else that I would like. Engineering.

5:11: Frank: What is it about?

5:16: Hadassa: It deals with space vehicles. For example, rockets. The instruments you used to go to space.

5:33: Frank: What has inspired you the most? Because you were raised in the village and you did not have this kind of exposure.

5:48: Hadassa: Where I lived, it was very easy to observe the sky at night. So, if I was sent to buy bread and milk to eat before going to school the next day, I would see how the stars are arranged in a particular order. And that arrangement was always there, every time. So it became my passion to assist others to go there, because I personally do not want to go, I only want to build the rockets that go there. I only want to send people there, but I won’t go.

06:36: Frank: So you want to send others there. | Hadassa: Yes.

06:38: Frank: So what is the course of study you will focus on so you can go into your specialty?

06:45: Hadassa: My main focus is physics. I also chose geography and computer science because it gives me an advantage. You know, geography will enlighten me about maps, so it will be very easy for me to program whatever I am making. And computers, because we are going into another era.

07:10: Frank: Do you have both your parents?

7:12: Hadassa: Yes.

07:15: Frank: What kind of transformation do you want to make in their life?

07:21: Hadassa: Thinking of my mother, she likes to live without being disturbed by others. You see, the situation is that the landlord comes and wants money, or maybe she was given credit. So my mother avoids them because the person will keep on asking her for money. So, I want to make her life easy, anything she might want, she will just have to ask and receive.

08:00: Frank: What is her name? | Hadassa: Jane. Jane Kawera.

08:05: Frank: I want you to look at that camera and let her know she has a daughter who cares about her, and let her know that through the help of EFAC, how you will give back to her.

08:20: Hadassa: To my mother, wherever you are, I know you are watching me. Do not worry. Whatever you sacrificed so I could go to school, so I could get some things that I probably wouldn’t have gotten if it were not for your sacrifice, do not worry. I will repay you time and again.

08:40: Frank: I wanted to hear more, but it is okay. How about you Doctor Willis. Your message to your father? Look at that camera and tell him about this dream come true.

09:03: Willis: I would like to say that I am very grateful for everything he has done for me, because he has sacrificed a lot. He has not done some other things that he wanted to do so that my brothers and I could reach the level we are today. I want to tell them that we will all come back and everything will be fine.

09:33: Frank: Now I am going to read some messages from Twitter. Bridget Karimi says “It’s amazing how EFAC mentors one in all aspects of life. Self esteem, investing in self, open and design thinking, among others. Long live the EFAC facilitators and all scholars.”

As we finish, tell us the structures that you have put in place. Because I can see that the students are very happy about how you motivate them, mentoring them and many other things. How do you do this?

10:13: Benson: After we select the Form 1 students and we have those already in the program, we send them to schools that we have a connection with. It is very easy for us in terms of administration. Then, every year, they come as a group, for example, those in high school come for one week. And in this workshop, there are programs about lifestyle. We educate them on health, reproductive health, mental health. We have counselors. They engage in sports and we encourage them to do community service. We have students from diverse backgrounds, so they get to know each other. And we make sure they are okay. Then, every term, we have professional mentors who are registered with us. Each one “adopts” a school. [To Frank] You can even be one!

11:20: Frank: I went to [inaudible] High School in Migori county. I went to Moi University in Eldoret and later on to Daystar University.

11:33: Benson: We can say Frank is a teacher with experience. You are a teacher and also a journalist. How did you go about that? Maybe someone wants to be like you?

We do the mentorship every term of the year during high school. During the workshops they also learn about self-awareness, social awareness, empathy. It’s important because we want to build resilient communities. So they come to know and understand themselves. It’s not just about going to school and studying. People who have vision and leadership and take the mandate to help others in the future. So we are investing a lot in life skills and other programs, so that we can have Kenyans who understand themselves and understand that they have a mandate for nation-building. That they have benefitted, not only through school fees, but also from exposure. We work with different employers, their feedback helps us make our program better. We work with high schools, educational programs, Ministry of Education, we work with all of them. That is just the start and we want to work with them, so that we can better our community through education.

13:21: Frank: Thank you very much. We’re ending today’s show. I would like to thank my guests. We could have talked a lot more but the time is up. More comments from Twitter, from Collins, “My life has been fully transformed. I joined the program very shy, and not able to speak. Right now can clearly and confidently express my thoughts and ideas. All these I have learned from the workshops and seminars that we have had on an annual basis.” And from Patrick, “EFAC has done a great job in empowering and nurturing lives. Thanks to Benson and team for the great work. I am Patrick Makau, an EFAC Scholar from Moi University Eldoret. Asante sana.” How about you, one more word just about life to your friends out there?

14:27: Hadassa: It’s never that serious. [Meaning: Don’t worry, everything will work out.]

14:32: Frank: It has been my pleasure hosting today’s guests who are helping students who would have otherwise given up after KCPE. EFAC is here to help just those kinds of students.