December 2020
Well, what a year it’s been. Who would have possibly imagined what we were in for just 12 months ago. One thing for sure is that Australia has lived up to its reputation as the “lucky country” certainly in terms of the recent pandemic.
Now, I and all of us at Reduce Home Loans feel so much gratitude to be living in Australia especially at this time and like many of you are mindful of the great suffering occurring in many parts of the World right now.
Each year at this time, we at Reduce Home Loans have thanked you for the year we’ve shared together, celebrating the festive season with hampers and gifts, large food spreads and cocktail events, as well as cards and Christmas parties. This year, however we’re doing something quite different. We want to use all the resources and more that we customarily spend on ourselves and others to give a gift that keeps on giving each and every day throughout the year.
We have decided to take direct intervention into making the lives of an initial 12 of the most deserving, disadvantaged children, better not just today but long into the future. We have made the choice this year to directly sponsor a number of African school children by way of a scholarship. We aim to assist these boys and girls to obtain a good education to provide for a brighter future for them and their families.
We have decided to steer clear of larger support organisations, to ensure that 100% of every dollar is made available for these children in need. We have set up an agent in Kenya and are taking care of all overheads, administrative fees and other expenses to run the Support Programme. Whilst many charity’s intentions and goals align with ours, we feel that we can make a greater impact with our contribution by going direct, as opposed to seeing our investment go towards paying wages, marketing and other fees or rental overheads. We want to impact change and by taking the process in our own hands and adopting this approach we can ensure that the time, effort, commitment and money is focused in those impoverished communities that need our help the most.
These students have had to apply and go through a selection process with our team to demonstrate that they are diligently working for a better future for themselves and their families so that the resources we apply will not just be a hand out, but an investment not just in their futures but also the communities around them. We are helping them build a better life for themselves, their families and those around them, giving hope for the future.
I hope you feel as proud as we do to be able to support these children in need and know that even the cost of a hamper, gift or bottle of bubbly can help provide the support needed for a term’s education or resources needed for their studies.
In times where a sense of community is more important than ever, we feel that we are in a fortunate position to help those who need our support the most. We have attached letters and pictures of the students selected thus far and as you are sitting around your table at Christmas with your family and friends, we hope you along with us will raise a glass to these children and their bright futures ahead.
Let’s meet some of the children we are sponsoring!
Meet Glory
I am schooling at Ngala Memorials Girls and am currently in form one. Am coming from Malindi-Watamu village. Am 15 years old, am coming from a family of seven children. My hobbies are reading and singing, my career is to pursue medicine. My goal is to complete my studies at all levels and continue up to university and masters.
My father has no job although his is the bread winner, but it seems hard for him because he’s now suffering from pressure se he does not have the wealth of sucking some jobs.
Life is so hard to my mum too, because she’s not employed, every sunrise she walks to the streets looking for labour jobs.
I was happy when i joined a boarding school. But it hurts me, because for every re-opening and closing of schools I have to walk a long distance. We usually eat hard maize with beans (kitheri) when am at school. During the holidays I often spend the days without eating.
It is so hard for me to do my assignments at home during the holidays due to lack of light during the night. Which lead to the lack of self-studies. I live in a makuti house but when it rains a lot of water drops and it damages my books, my school uniform and our households, due to the weary of the makuties.
Yours faithfully,
Glory
Meet Mathew
I am Mathew a pupil at Alliance High School. I am a Christian and I would like to be a pilot in the future. I schooled at Kitale Progressive where I was sponsored by my former school manager.
Although I was selected to join Alliance High School, I have lacked enough funds to pay school fees. My mother who sells vegetables at our home market is burdened by four more children who are all studying.
My father disappeared when I was still young and he has never turned up. I applied for sponsorships from various banks but never got even one.
A fund raising was done in our church and thirty thousand shillings was raised. I paid for uniform and used the rest to do some shopping.
Please help me
Yours faithfully,
Mathew
Meet Joy
I am Joy studying at Karinga girls and in form three. I have been performing quite well when I was in form one, I was attaining B+ and B’s in form two. I attained a B in my last exam. In form three we did only one exam and that when I attained C+.
I live in Ruiru. I live with my mother, my brother and my sister. My sister is in class eight while my brother is in grade one. My dad passed out on May 2020 through a road accident. My mother is the one who has been struggling with our school fees. she is also paying the house rent.
I would humbly ask for some help if possible and i will be greatful.
Yours sincerely,
Joy
Meet Mildred
I am a student at Bungoma Baptist Girls in form 3. I am a second born in a family of 6. My parents are peasant farmers depending on day to day labour work to earn a living, I have been always out of school due to school fees problem which has made me get poor performance as sometimes I am forced to do labour work to assist the family.
We live in a one roomed house due to my parents situation which makes me difficult to study. I performed well in class eight with 302 marks.
It’s my sincere hope that you will accord me a chance and I promise to work hard to attain better grades as I am capable.
Thanks in advance
Yours faithfully,
Mildred
Meet Paul
My name is Paul from 1A. I am from Wilberforte house. I got 391 marks in my K.C.P.E examination at my former school Ancaster Primary School.
I wish to get considerations for scholarship from your office since I come from a less privileged family. My mother is a fruit and vegetable vendor at Nakuru. life has been difficult and upon getting your scholarship I will be able to pursue my secondary education at alliance High School smoothly.
I have been raised by a single mother in a family of five children, three brothers and two sisters. I am not able to tell the whereabout of my dad since he is not at home. My education in primary school was partially sponsored by my grandmother.
My dream is pursuing aviation and majorly to become a pilot. Your help in achieving my dream career will be a great milestone.
I hope my request will be considered.
Yours faithfully,
Paul
Meet Gladys
I am 14 years of age and currently from a form one students at Friends Togi Girls School. I come from a family of eight and I am the third born. We are raised from a very poor yet humble background as we live in a one roomed house and my parents are peasant farmers. Education has always been my pillar despite the hardships of acquiring it and I managed to score 326 marks in my K.C.P.E and my previous grade in school was an A.
My parents really struggle hard to make ends meet as I have been chased away from school due to fees arrears. I would really be glad to achieve my dream of pursuing engineering through your support.
Yours sincerely,
Gladys
Meet Mary
I hereby write this letter as a student. I am seventeen years and a girl in form three at Gitothua Secondary School.
The reason why I’m writing this letter is to plead with if you can give me a scholarship, because it has not been easy for my mother to pay my school fees.
She is just a casual laborer and sometimes this even hard for her to provide our basic needs.
I’m an average student and I usually score C+. If you can help me with my school I can appreciate and even do my best by scoring higher grades. All I could as for is your support.
Yours faithfully,
Mary
Meet Irene
Meet Faith
Meet Winfred
Meet Kevin
Hope this letter finds you well hence am hereby trying to apply for a scholarship in your great cooperative of education.
I greatly need this opportunity to urge you to include me in your list. Because of my unintended humble background I need your help to humbly boost my education journey of which i am now in my secondary level but am not doing well due some circumstances like lack of enough school fees to keep me in school at all times and so am forced to go home leading to poor results due to miss of important classes.
I cannot say am doing that well in my studies but with your help my studies will be greatly boosted to a higher level and that is my promise to you because with your help am going to get learning materials like revision books.
I would relish the opportunity to show you how my education progress would be highly boosted by working hand in hand with you. I will be greatly thankful… THANK YOU.
Yours sincerely,
Kevin
