On a warm coastal morning filled with cautious hope and parental pride, Imarika Foundation flagged off another cohort of young scholar, students whose dreams of secondary education are being kept alive through a carefully structured scholarship programme rooted in community responsibility.
The event marked the handover of scholarship cheques worth KSh 900,000, supporting 30 students transitioning to Grade 10, a critical stage in Kenya’s new education system. But beyond the numbers and ceremonial handover lay a deeper story: one of discipline, shared sacrifice, and long-term vision for coastal communities often left on the margins of opportunity.
Speaking to students and their parents, Sharif Shehe, Chair of the Foundation’s Education Board, underscored that the scholarship programme is not charity, but a merit-based partnership.
He explained that beneficiaries are selected through a rigorous vetting process where an education committee scrutinizes applications against clear guidelines, academic merit, and demonstrated need. The aim, he noted, is to ensure that support reaches students who are both deserving and committed.
“The Foundation supports the core cost of education, but parents also have a role to play,” Shehe said, urging families to make every effort to meet small, day-to-day school requirements. He added that parental involvement remains a key pillar of the programme’s success.
To reinforce academic excellence and personal growth, Imarika Foundation goes beyond paying school fees. The organisation plans and conducts structured mentorship programmes during school holidays, bringing together beneficiaries for guidance, motivation, and life-skills development. These sessions are designed to help students stay focused, disciplined, and resilient in the face of social and economic pressures.
Performance, Shehe emphasised, is non-negotiable.
“It is vital for students to maintain good results. Continued support depends on sustained effort and good performance,” he noted, making it clear that the programme is designed to reward commitment and accountability.
The results, however, speak loudly for the Foundation.
Since its inception, 156 students from different regions across the Coast have benefited, receiving a cumulative KSh 7.8 million in scholarship funding. According to the Foundation, all beneficiaries have progressed well in their academic journeys. Some have already completed their studies and are currently working, a testament to the programme’s long-term impact.
Recent Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results further cement this success. All sponsored candidates qualified for direct university entry, with five attaining an impressive A- grade, a remarkable achievement in a region where access to quality education remains uneven.
For the students themselves, the scholarship represents more than financial relief—it is a promise of possibility.
One beneficiary, speaking on behalf of the students, pledged to honour that promise through hard work and discipline. The student said they were determined to “work hard and smart” in order to utilise the opportunity fully and secure a better future.
That sense of responsibility was echoed by Edward Charo, who described the sponsorship as a critical foundation for the students’ lives ahead.
“This sponsorship is a stepping stone to their future,” Charo said, noting that education remains the most reliable path to breaking cycles of poverty.
Charo also highlighted the crucial role played by Imarika Sacco, the primary funder of Imarika Foundation, in sustaining the scholarship programme. He encouraged parents in attendance to consider joining the Sacco, not only to access its diverse financial products, but also as a way of planning ahead for their children’s educational journeys.
“By saving through the Sacco, parents invest in their children’s next steps,” he explained, pointing out that while the Foundation’s scholarship supports students up to Grade 12, families must also prepare for post-secondary education and other future needs.
This model—where a cooperative finances a community foundation—has proven both sustainable and empowering. It allows education support to be anchored in local savings, collective ownership, and long-term planning rather than short-term donor cycles.
For donors and development partners, Imarika Foundation presents a compelling case: a transparent, results-driven programme with measurable outcomes, strong governance, and deep community buy-in. The Foundation’s emphasis on mentorship, performance monitoring, and parental involvement ensures that every shilling invested delivers lasting value.
As the latest group of students walked away clutching their scholarship cheques—accompanied by parents whose relief was unmistakable—the moment felt less like a one-off event and more like part of a quiet, ongoing transformation.
In nurturing disciplined scholars, engaged parents, and cooperative-backed solutions, Imarika Foundation is not just funding education. It is building a generation equipped to uplift the Coast from within—proving that when communities invest in their own children, the returns can last a lifetime.
