Riley Orton Foundation

High school transition scholarships for Akili's final graduating class

Support 11 low-income rural Kenyan girls to continue their education

FULLY FUNDED 100%

The Akili School in western Kenya is transitioning from a general primary education provider into a specialist STEM learning centre. Akili’s final cohort of 11 high-performing girls, are graduating from primary school at the end of 2023. The girls have boarded at Akili for the past 8 years to ensure safe, supported, consistent access to primary education.

The school aimed to award high school scholarships to each of the girls to ensure their education journey doesn’t end with Akili, and that they can continue to pursue their learning and future goals.

About the project

Since 2010, the The Akili School in Kisumu, western Kenya, has provided general primary education for young people from rural, low-income, marginalised families. Children board at the school while completing their primary schooling, ensuring safe, consistent access to learning, support and shelter. The school is administered by the Riley Orton Foundation (ROF). Now, the school is transitioning into a specialised STEAM learning centre to provide contemporary education in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

The 11 girls completed their final exams at the end of 2023. They are each from rural low-income families, and the cost and distance of school is a prohibitive factor. Akili’s boarding school enabled them to reach their final year of primary school, but without further support, they could have been forced to end their schooling and begin working at home.

The girls performed very well on their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams, which enable them to transition to high school. From onset, their academic performance improved from a mean score of 280.27 to 335 (of a possible 500 marks).

The scholarships provided each girl with tuition, uniforms, shoes and sanitary pads for their first year of high school. These resources enable each girl to transition successfully to high school and build self-confidence in her ability to advance to the next phase of her education.

About the Riley ORton Foundation

Riley Orton Foundation (ROF) is a registered charity that works with schools and community organisations in Kisumu, Siaya, and Kakamega counties in western Kenya. It works to provide educational opportunities for marginalised girls and communities in Kenya, providing them with the agency to realise their full potential.

ROF is a trusted long term partner of the Sunflower Foundation, and the beneficiary of three previous Sunflower grants totalling over $AUD 24,000, to fund school infrastructure and garden construction, teaching salaries, entrepreneurship training and scholarship provision.

ROF is led by founder and Executive Director David Omondi, a a grassroots leader with a wealth of experience in education technology and entrepreneurship as well as project planning and management.

As well as the Akili School, ROF powers many other girls’ education initiatives, including scholarships for at-risk students, bicycles and school uniform distribution.

Resources needed

We funded the following expenses to run the project.

School fees

Secondary school tuition fees for 2024 school year

A$1980

School uniforms

Skirt, shirt, sweater, socks, shoes, underwear and sanitary pads

$A990

Support

Mentoring, SEL and academic support for three terms of 2024

$A220