Equity Group Foundation (EGF) has conducted its 13th Education and Leadership Congress for the 18,577 Wings to Fly and Elimu Form 1 and 2 scholars.
The Congress was held across the country in 19 locations/regions under the theme “The Power of Purpose: Aligning Values and Leadership.” This follows a similar series of regional congresses that was held in April this year for Elimu and Wings to Fly in Forms 3 and 4.
This year’s congress is brought together high-profile facilitators and speakers from the Ministry of Education, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), Board Selection and Scholarship Committee Members, Captains of Industry, academia, teacher champions as well as Equity Bank and EGF staff. Over the years, the congresses have provided an opportunity for young scholars across the country to gain valuable insights into preferred careers as well as life in general.
This has helped highlight Equity Group Foundation’s commitment to social transformation and collective scholarly excellence for the upcoming generations.
The Wings to Fly and Elimu scholarship programs under EGF’s Education and Leadership Development pillar provide comprehensive secondary school scholarships to academically promising, yet financially disadvantaged youth.
Hon. Ezekiel Machogu, the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education who was represented by Lydia Muchemi, Director of Quality Assurance and Standards, said, “I remind all scholars to continue inspiring, uplifting, and transforming the nation. Let your leadership shine as you pursue your education. We thank Equity Group Foundation for partnering with the Government to transform the education sector. We are forging a pathway towards eradication of poverty and alignment with sustainable development goals.”
Speaking to scholars during the Congress, Equity Group Foundation Executive Chairman, Dr. James Mwangi, said, “The values you choose will protect your essence and your purpose. It is the right values that will keep you out of trouble and reenergize you. Achieving a purpose requires determination, innovation, patience, and enthusiasm. All these are made possible by the values we choose to adopt. Benjamin Graedler, Senior Portfolio Manager at KfW Development Bank reiterated the importance of skills acquisition for career progress.’
“We all have big dreams and look forward to achieving big. Technical skills are not the end of the way, we encourage you to take opportunities for knowledge acquisition. The knowledge will help you forge a career pathway for yourself. Study hard and keep your purpose.
Equity and KfW are here to support you along the way.” He added.
The Congress is tailored to empower the scholars in the five key pillars that form the basis of the program. These include academic excellence, value-centered living, transformative leadership, giving back to society, and gender sensitization.
The scholars engaged with top corporate captains, government officials, religious leaders, academia, teachers, and fellow scholars in interactive plenary sessions aimed at challenging them to be creative and innovative in driving change within their homes, schools, and communities.
The Congress theme is focusing on aligning values and leadership, and the daily programs aim to inspire the scholars to unlock their potential and develop life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and resilience.
The goal is to equip the scholars with a mindset of becoming principal agents of shaping their destinies through simple decisions they make in their everyday life.
So far, Equity Group Foundation and its partners have issued more than 55,608 scholarships with more than 97% secondary school completion rates. The Group continues to invest in impact programs to support underserved members of the community across the country.
The holistic nature of the program makes it comprehensive and unique as it focuses on empowering the scholars through education, mentorship and coaching and encouraging them to invest their time in doing good by giving back to their communities.