We are cruising along with our programs at SYEF. Throughout 2024, our programs and initiatives will look similar to the previous year because we are in a groove and things are running smoothly!
On the scholarship side, we had a modest change this year, in response to a phased-in restructuring of Kenya’s primary education system. We added twice the number of scholarships for 2024, but it will even out in 2025 when we will not select any new scholarship recipients, as Kenya shifts over the next three years from a primary/secondary model for school to a primary/junior/senior model. Our scholarship recipients will continue to participate in life skills workshops and community service during the school breaks.
In our DIG Entrepreneurship program, we plan to repeat the program similar as offered last year, which saw several new enterprises, most of them focused on food service. In 2024 we are encouraging DIG applicants to brainstorm ideas outside of the food service realm, so we aren’t creating too much competition for the same customer base among new and previous DIG applicants.
We continue working with women’s groups to sell their beadwork and other items to both raise money for SYEF and support women’s autonomy and empowerment. Although the initiative mostly serves as “side money” for our participants, the annual income to each woman is close the government-defined amount for staying above extreme poverty.
On the fundraising side, SYEF’s experiences generally follow broader trends in charitable giving, and the trends are generally unfavorable. For several years, philanthropy nationwide (U.S.) saw a trend of fewer people opting to donate to charitable causes, but those who continued to donate offset the losses by giving more. However, that trend has slowed, and there’s a subtle “other shoe about to drop” feeling in the world of non-profits.
If you can give – whether it’s $5.00 or $5,000 – PLEASE GIVE to the organizations important to you and consider a donation outside of the usual cycles or in reply to email requests. The peace of mind by a donation from a previously inactive donor or an unsolicited donation is huge right now!
