Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina converses with Thika Equity Branch Manager Sammy Karanu during the flagging of the region's Wings to Fly beneficiaries. [Photo|Thika Today]
Thika Town MP Eng. Patrick Wainaina has challenged businesses and companies within Thika town to Emulate Equity Bank's Wings to Fly programme.
Wainainaina noted that the bank’s programme could only admit a very small number of needy students while leaving out the rest who were equally deserving.
The MP added that it was wrong for companies and businesses to take a back seat as bright brains within their jurisdiction went to waste for lack of school fees.
"The society must address the needs of students in low-income who face challenges to success to ensure they all get the opportunity to succeed in school and the workforce. When we empower these kids, there will be change not only in their homes but also the whole of Kenya,” said the MP last weekend when the 16 students selected by Equity Bank, Thika branch were feted.
Wainaina said that investing in education was critical to fostering growth and innovation for current and future generations and it was everyone’s duty to do so.
He hoped that other partners will come in and support students who have missed out of the Wings to Fly programme because the government and Equity can't do much.
"We all need to put a hand in improving the quality of education in our country,” he said as quoted by Thika Today.
He promised to use resources at his disposal to add more classrooms to the existing secondary schools in the area as a way to ensure 100% primary to secondary school transition as envisioned by the Jubilee government.
This year, only 16 pupils were selected to join the Wings to Fly Programme within the larger Thika region that comprises of Thika East and West, Gatanga and Gatundu North sub-counties. This is despite the branch receiving 222 applications from deserving students.
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