Equity Bank and Mastercard's Wings to Fly scholarship programme has been urged to increase the number of beneficiaries from North Eastern.
Garissa Catholic Diocese director Sister Everline Ingoshe said top-performing students from financially challenged backgrounds will miss out on education.
Speaking on Tuesday in Garissa town, Ingoshe said many students sent their applications but they were only able to select eight who will benefit from the scholarship.
Ingoshe who was one of the members who selected students from the region to benefit from the programme called on well-wishers and other organizations to offer scholarships to bright but needy students for them to gain access to education.
“We received 200 applications, and we selected 50 for the final interview of which we picked four girls and four boys. The 42 we left out were all eligible and the government and donors must find ways and means to enable them to pursue their education," she said.
“I want to appeal to individuals, organisations and well-wishers to come together and assist students from poor backgrounds to pursue their dreams,” added Ingoshe.
She added that the scholarships will help eligible students attain secondary school education adding that the students will have their school fees and other essentials paid.
Garissa branch Equity manager Stephen Karumba who met the beneficiaries assured parents that the selection process was fair and only deserving students were selected.
“We were also giving priority to those children whose parents have terminal illnesses such as cancer or HIV-Aids,” said Karumba.
A 70-year-old man, Hassan Mohamed, thanked the sponsors after his daughter, Khadija Abdi, who scored 385 marks in 2019 KCPE exams and wants to be a doctor was selected as one of the beneficiaries.
“I have been a pastoralist all my years and that was my only source of income. Unfortunately, I have lost all my goats and sheep to drought and diseases. The few animals that remained were swept away by the recent floods. I was left destitute,” said Mohamed.Equity urged to increase number of beneficiaries of Wings to Fly scholarship