After years of working in Kenya, SHCF has discovered the need beyond surgical care as these children often lacked the most basic needs like access to education. Primary (elementary) education in Kenya is free, but secondary (high-school) is not. As a result, many children are unable to continue in school, or even attend in the first place due to other costs like uniforms, books or transportation. As a result, SHCF recently expanded its care to aid children who received surgical care to to attend school and secure a valuable education to break the cycle of poverty in their families. SHCF has supported children through primary and secondary school and has even offered assistance to siblings of children in families with the greatest financial constraints. SHCF sponsors part or all of their school fees and related expenses based on their family income. SHCF found out that after high school the sponsored children were not getting opportunities, so they decided to sponsor them for college diplomas and degrees.
How do we choose who receives assistance for education?
The selection process is managed by two highly skilled and experienced volunteer social workers. The process of screening for assistance includes but is not limited to: single-parent families, jobless parents, slum dwellers, orphans from various orphan homes, and HIV families.