USAID Kenya Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Scholarship Project
USAID has been providing scholarships since December 2005 and has supported 1,836 beneficiaries to December 2008, out of which, approximately 800 continued school in the academic year 2009.
In order to encourage education institutions to assist children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS pandemic to complete their education and with the belief that such education will help reduce the risk of infection, USAID further awarded school scholarships to qualified students for the academic years beginning January 2009 to December 2013.
The new contract will support approximately 3,300 beneficiaries. Approximately 800 continuing beneficiaries, who were previously under the USAID PEPFAR Contract, were transferred to the new contract and an approximate 2,500 additional new beneficiaries selected. Of the planned awarded scholarships, 80% will be for secondary school, 10% for middle level colleges and 10 % will be for university.
The funds for this project are provided by the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The scholarship will cover the cost of tuition, academic activities, books, uniforms, boarding costs, school supplies and personal effects.
During the period January 2009 to December 2013, the scholarship will oversee approximately 3,300 beneficiaries through different levels of education ranging from Secondary school, Tertiary and middle level colleges and Universities. The beneficiaries have been selected from all the districts in the country.
The total number of students who are currently benefiting from the scholarship are represented as follows by province and by gender:
Province |
Female |
Male |
Total |
Central |
241 |
299 |
540 |
Coast |
77 |
111 |
188 |
Eastern |
281 |
340 |
621 |
Nairobi |
81 |
119 |
200 |
North Eastern |
56 |
131 |
187 |
Nyanza |
219 |
407 |
626 |
Rift Valley |
223 |
261 |
484 |
Western |
193 |
272 |
465 |
|
1,371 |
1,940 |
3,311 |
