The selection process is initiated by USAID through a letter to the District Children’s Officer (DCO) in each district throughout Kenya. The DCO is the secretary to the Area Advisory Council (AAC) in each district. He is then assigned the responsibility of distributing the application form to schools and other institutions in the district within a given duration.

The application forms are available at all District Education Offices and downloadable from this web site. The District Education Officer convenes District Education Board where a nomination list is prepared. The nomination list and meeting minutes are forwarded to USAID who (in consultation) with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Home Affairs verifies authenticity of all documents and are responsible for approving the final list of scholarship beneficiaries.

The Area Advisory Councils are responsible for the following:

Distributing the applications as widely as possible and ensuring transparency, integrity and accountability in the process both during distribution and vetting/ranking.

Explaining to the potential applicants that incomplete applications will not be considered for the scholarships.

Ensuring that all parts of the form are complete and in order and have all supporting documentation attached or proper explanations given.

Vetting and ranking the applicants before forwarding them to the District Education Board
The constitution of the AACs varies from district to district but will largely include representatives from the following offices:

District Children’s Office

District Education Office

District Probation Office

District Social Development Office

District Information Office

Police

District Medical Office

Civil Registration Office

District Development Office

Judiciary representatives

Other stakeholders e.g. administrators of children’s homes, church representatives involved in social welfare activities and any other persons as may be agreed when the councils are being constituted.

The District Education Officer convenes the District Education Board where a nomination list is prepared. The nomination list and meeting minutes are forwarded to USAID who (in consultation) with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Home Affairs verifies authenticity of all documents and are responsible for approving the final list of scholarship beneficiaries.

The selection is based on the following criteria:

Students meeting the definition of OVC are nominated by the District Education Board using the following criteria:

Applicants should be able to produce death certificates or burial permits(s) of parents or guardians. In the absence of the required documentation, the applicant’s status as an orphan or vulnerable child must confirmed by the District Administration and school principal.

Applicants and/or guardians must be unable to pay school fees,

Applicants must have a satisfactory school leaving certificate,

Applicants must be in good academic standing and school attendance,

Applicants must have an admission letter to an accredited education institution in Kenya,

Applicant must produce all the relevant academic certificates and testimonials, and

The applicants must fully disclose the extent of other scholarship or bursary.

The administration and management of the scholarship is carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The role of PricewaterhouseCoopers as administrators of the scholarship include:

Notifying the beneficiaries

This involves writing letters of award to the beneficiaries informing them of their selection to receive the scholarship

Notifying the schools and institutions

This involves writing a letters the schools and institutions where the beneficiaries are enrolled informing them about the scholarship and also introducing the scholarship recipients.

Tracing the selected beneficiaries

This involves visiting the students during school terms to discuss with them all issues pertaining to the scholarship and their schooling.

Obtaining all information regarding the students from their respective schools. This includes both financial and academic information
This involves writing and liaising with institutions and also the students where necessary in order to obtain the relevant information to facilitate disbursement of funds to the schools for the students.

Vetting all information obtained and follow up with beneficiaries and institutions where necessary.

This is done to ensure both accuracy and completeness of the information received as well as accountability. It also ensures that the costs are allowable so that funds are used optimally to support as many OVCs as possible.

Monitoring performance and class attendance by students
On a termly basis information on performance and attendance is collected by PricewaterhouseCoopers through a data collection process which involves visiting the schools/ institutions where the beneficiaries are studying. Some of this information is also collected through other means of communication e.g. by post.

Besides just collecting the information the schools through their guiding and counseling units as well as the data collectors visiting the schools encourage the students to put in more effort into their studies. This is evidenced by testimonials from students and institutions indicating that this action of following up brings a message of care and concern to most beneficiaries and instead of being intimidated find it a reason to work even harder.

Reporting to USAID and providing advice on the scholarship processes.