1,000 bright children from financially disadvantaged backgrounds who sat for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations in 2022 have officially been commissioned into the Wings to Fly scholarship program. The scholars from across the whole country had converged at Pangani Girls High School in Nairobi for a 3-day induction and training program, before the official commissioning.
The 2023 Wings to Fly scholarships have been funded by Equity Group in partnership with the German Development Agency, KfW. The commissioning of the 13th cohort of the Wings to Fly program brings the total number of comprehensive secondary school scholarships awarded through Equity Group Foundation to 48,009.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Director and Project Coordinator Ministry of Education, Jane Mbugua on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Education Hon. Ezekiel Machogu said, “The support given by Equity Group and its partners through the Wings to Fly scholarship program has over the years continued to boost Government’s initiative that targets 100% transition to secondary schools. I commend Equity for being a true partner to the government in furthering the socio-economic development agenda of the people of Kenya. We are aware of the tremendous impact of programs such as Wings to Fly. With proper resourcing of education, we can support needy families, uplift the society and avoid school dropout.”
Equity Group Foundation Executive Chairman Dr. James Mwangi while addressing the scholars said, “I would like to congratulate all the scholars in the 2023 cohort, they’ve earned these scholarships through their hard work and we remain optimistic that at the end of the four-year period, they will come back as winners. As we give them the ‘Wings to Fly’ our hope is that this program, as it also offers mentorship and coaching will equip them with the right tools to be transformational leaders in society.”
The Wings to Fly Program has demonstrated success with a 97 percent secondary school completion rate and 82 percent of the graduating scholars attaining university direct entry grades to both local and global universities.
