Our Story
The Neema Health Educational and Empowerment Program was started in 2010. It was initiated out of a need to address issues of improving the well-being of members of our communities. Issues of health are a constant concern and our directors – being in the health profession – felt there was a need to address them at the community level, initially by offering free medical camps to communities. Poverty reduction is also an objective of our organization, whereby we offer microfinance services to our communities.
Our greatest emphasis has been on EDUCATION where we offer sponsorships to bright but needy students to go through high school. This is something we as a family have been doing in the past in an informal way and we have had several young ones who have completed school through our intervention.
We interview candidates who have scored 350 marks and above in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) Examinations.
Our scholarships are aimed at students who have been studying in rural public primary schools that have not been able to access quality education or:
- Those from unstable families where one or both parents have squandered family resources
- Where one or both parents may have lost employment, especially through retrenchment, and having had no savings
- Those from single mothers who may be overwhelmed by the demands of bringing up the family
- Those who have been neglected by other family members
- Those whose parents are landless or are poor.
In 2011, we started the Education Programme with 2 students who did very well in their respective schools, scoring straight As and Bs. This encouraged us to pick 7 students in 2012. Out of the 7 students then in Form 3, four proceeded to National schools and 3 to County schools. They did very well in their classes. In 2013, we picked 3 students and in 2014 we selected 3 more students. In total we had 14 students in high school in the year 2014.
In 2015, we picked 4 new students to join Form 1 through Neema HEEP.
Also, the inaugural Annual Edition of the Neema HEEP Students Mentorship Program took place between 25th November & 27th November. We had very inspiring facilitators who came to equip the students with skills for the future. 6 of our students did their KCSE in 2016.
In February 2016, Neema HEEP added six Form 1 students to the programme. This was done in order to replace the six Form 4 candidates who left the programme in 2015. The students were from very needy and diverse backgrounds. Neema HEEP provided a chance for them to further their education.
In January 2017, we were glad to have been able to bring on board 3 Form One students from the programme.
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We felt it was important for us to share with you about what we are doing to share with the less fortunate in our community. Alone we can only do little but with help from ( YOU ) our friends, this programme can make a much bigger impact in our society.
We also organize mentorship programmes for the students during the holidays whereby we invite professionals to mentor them. The programme, therefore, is not just about school fees but also a holistic one where the whole person in ministered to even socially, so that the students grow up able to fit in society and also able to touch other needy students in another generation. In this manner, the programme becomes sustainable.
The programme is currently running in Embu County and will in future expand to other counties. Over the years, we want to thank our friends who have helped us with logistics to make sure this programme is successful. We thank Equity Bank, Embu branch who have continued to help us with the selection process through their Wings to Fly programme.
We are currently looking for like minded partners who would be willing to support this programme so that we may be able to support more bright but poor students.
Donations towards this noble cause can also be channeled to us via M-PESA Buy Goods – Till Number 388 285