- Residents of Songhor-Soba have joined hands to support 28 students heading to university.
- The initiative seeks to ease financial pressures facing families as learners begin higher education.
- Community leaders are now advocating sustained support to help beneficiaries complete their studies successfully.
Twenty-eight students from Songhor-Soba Ward in Nandi County will begin their university journeys with financial and moral support from their community after residents joined hands in a fundraising drive.
The initiative, led by former Nandi County Assembly Speaker Joshua Kiptoo, brought together parents, local leaders, residents and well-wishers to help ease the cost of university education for the beneficiaries.
For many of the families involved, sending a child to university comes with expenses that go beyond tuition, including accommodation, transport, food and learning materials.
Kiptoo said the fundraiser was a reminder that communities could make a major difference in the lives of young people by sharing the responsibility of supporting education.
He said rising education costs should not condemn talented students from poor families to abandoning their dreams.
“Financial challenges should not prevent deserving students from pursuing their academic dreams,” Kiptoo said.
According to Kiptoo, the success of the 28 beneficiaries would eventually benefit not only their families but the entire Songhor-Soba community.
He urged residents to establish a culture of helping needy learners while calling on leaders and other well-wishers to complement government initiatives designed to increase access to higher education.
“Investing in the education of our young people is investing in the future of our community,” he said.
Call for sustainable support
Education advocate Sylvia Kemei said the fundraiser demonstrated the value of community participation in education.
She observed that government support had created more opportunities for young people but said some students still faced difficulties meeting the costs associated with joining and remaining in university.
“Education changes the trajectory of families and communities,” Kemei said.
She urged residents to move beyond occasional fundraising and create a structured education support system that could assist students on a long-term basis.
“A community education fund would allow us to identify needy students early and support them consistently instead of waiting until a crisis arises,” she said.
Community elder Caleb Chumo said the fundraiser had brought back the spirit of collective responsibility.
He said the community had a duty to ensure that children received the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate an increasingly competitive economy.
“Children are our future, and the best inheritance we can give them is knowledge and skills,” Chumo said.
Chumo said families might not have the financial capacity to educate their children alone, but collective action could help bridge the gap.
Beyond university admission
Jessica Muloti, a parent who attended the event, said the cost of sending a child to university could be overwhelming for rural families.
She said many households relied on small-scale farming and other modest sources of income, making it difficult to raise large sums of money at short notice.
Muloti thanked those who supported the fundraiser and appealed for continued assistance as the students progress through university.
“Joining campus is only the beginning of a journey that requires sustained financial and emotional support,” she said.
The initiative has consequently opened a broader conversation about the role of local communities in supporting higher education.
Beyond the funds raised, residents say the effort has sent a message to the 28 students that their community believes in their abilities and is prepared to invest in their future.
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The beneficiaries now head to university carrying not only the hopes of their families but also the collective expectations of a community determined to see its young people succeed.
By Kimutai Langat
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