Ogra Foundation has committed Sh20 million annually to pay school fees to bright girls from needy families in Kisumu County.
The selected 10 girls from each of the 35 wards in the county will be given free secondary education for four years.
While giving cheques to the girls in Kisumu on Thursday, the Foundation Director Dr Hezron Makobewa said the program targets at educating 500 girls.
Makobewa said 70 slots are reserved for students living with disability in the county.
The program has already paid school fees for 200 girls with another 200 girls set to receive their cheques next week before the remaining 100 students are also settled before the end of the month.
“This program is going to run for four years and we are going to pay school fees for the girls for four years. This is part of our networking that we are actually doing and it goes to show the power of networking,” he said.
Makobewa reiterated that there are a number of girls who are unable to go to school because they cannot afford to buy sanitary pads.
“I have made it very clear to the guardians and students today that we are also going to go outside our way to ensure that we can match the 500 girls with 500 boys before the end of the year,” he said.
Makobewa who has announced his intention to run for Kisumu gubernatorial seat announced that once elected he has a plan to start a county education trust fund.
He noted that the education trust fund will cater for every single child who needs to go to school.
“We have got enough non-sector players in this county, we have got enough stakeholders and enough corporate that if we pull together we will ensure that every child goes to school,” he said.