Student leaders in Tharaka Nithi County have launched a programme that aims to improve access to education for needy students.
The platform dubbed Mwanafunzi programme, will seek to help needy students in the county have access to quality education.
Speaking outside the County Commissioner’s office in Chuka, Chairman of higher learning institutions in Tharaka Nithi County Eric Mwenda said that they were launching the programme that would be geared towards helping needy and vulnerable students have access to education.
“We are launching this programme to help students living with disability, orphans and those from needy families have access to quality learning,” he said.
The chairman revealed that they would include mentorship programmes in high schools and primary schools to offer guidance and counselling to encourage students’ academic, social, emotional and personal development.
One of the other roles of the programme will be to empower the girl child to pursue education seamlessly.
“The programme will ensure provision of bursaries and sanitary towels to the girl child in order to make sure they have access to education without discrimination,” he said.
Tharaka Nithi Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) chairman Njeru Mutani called upon the government and other stakeholders to support the programme in educating needy students.
According to statistics done by KNUT in the county, 40 per cent of students in schools were needy and vulnerable, hence it was important to have programmes that support access to education.
Mutani added that the programme was in compliance with the Kenya Kwanza government manifesto to improve access to education all over the country.
“We will support you at national and county level and ensure all needy students in the county have completed their education,” he said.
William Lewis, member of Tharaka Nithi student leadership said that the programme would provide quality learning for vulnerable students hence promoting the development of the county.
