We are very happy to announce that as of today, we already have reached over 260 scholarships. With the help of our AiduMakers we were able to send over 260 talented teenagers to school and ensure that they can make the most out of their potential. To celebrate this strong relation with our supporters and to give you a glimpse behind the scene we choose to portray one of the AiduMaker-AiduFellow pairs in more detail – meet Margaret and Anna – Scholarship 250th.

Margaret is a 14 year-old orphan who was forced to flee her hometown after the post-election violence in 2008, but did not give up on her dream to become a computer engineer. Only a few months ago, Margaret had serious doubts on whether she would be able to continue her studies.

Margaret’s application form

We’ve been waiting for that moment since the very start of Aiducation. The first batch of AiduFellows has finally graduated from high school!

At the moment, many Kenyan secondary school students celebrate four years of hard work and academic achievements following the publication of Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results. This moment has a particular meaning for 10 new Aiducation alumni: 4 years ago, finishing secondary school seemed impossible simply because of high school fees.

Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education, or KCSE – five letters that have the power of realising dreams of University education for all secondary school students in Kenya.

With the 2010 KCSE results published last week, Aiducation reaches a milestone: we now have our first group of Alumni! It is a significant step in assessing the impact we have on the lives of disadvantaged young people in Kenya, thanks to the generosity of AiduMakers.

On their way to a brighter future…

Three Aiducators, three different personalities, three different experiences of volunteering at Aiducation. In this post, we’d like you to meet three (very) active Aiducators in Europe, to better understand what it really means to volunteer at Aiducation and the motivation behind our work.

Florian, one of the founders of Aiducation International, has been heading the organisation for 3 years. Jan is the Chairman of Trustees of Aiducation UK, in charge of strategic partnerships at the global level. Jeremie is the CEO of Aiducation UK.

What do you like most about your work at Aiducation?

Florian: “Aiducation is unique because it’s made of wonderful people: inspiring, passionate, hard-working, warm-hearted but still very professional and full of potential. The concept of Aiducation is also something that has no equivalent in the current charity landscape: 100% of the money goes into school fees and our scholarships match one donor with one student, based on both merit and financial need. This is simple and it can change the world!”

Florian Kapitza

Jan: “The concept and the team! I am extremely enthusiastic about the concept, combining sustainable help with a merit-based approach, and high transparency and accountability towards its donors. It’s really exciting to take this concept forward with a team that is incredibly energized and committed.”

Jeremie: “Knowing that you are going to help someone in particular, being able to put a name and a face on this person, is immensely rewarding for AiduMakers, but also for all the volunteers who facilitate the creation of scholarships. You really know who you are helping! As for the students, it is very motivating for them to be able to tell themselves ‘somebody selected my application, somebody believes in me’”.

What, in your experience at Aiducation, has made you most happy or proud?

Florian: I find it extremely rewarding to see that Aiducation is attracting amazing people with astonishing capacities. And our track record speaks for itself: almost 250 students sent to school, hundreds of AiduSeekers recruited and stayed in touch with, and there is more to come!

Jan: My best memory so far is my visit to Kenya, in the summer of 2010. Visiting the best schools with still so many boys and girls being sent home due to unpaid fees was a life-changing experience. Participating in a Mentorship Academy was another big highlight for me. I saw the real benefits of bringing our students together, of giving them opportunities to meet inspiring people like Esther Passaris or Miriam Were.

Jan Rihak

Jeremie: One of the best memories I have is the first scholarship we awarded in the UK. The student is a 14 year old boy called Chai, and he wants to become a journalist, travel around Africa and report on social issues. Being able to confirm to Chai’s family that the fees for his entire secondary education were secured was a very happy moment for the whole team.

Tell me about the work atmosphere at Aiducation, in 10 words maximum!

Florian: Working with great people. Learning from them. Celebrating with them.

Jan: Opportunities for initiatives – you have an idea, you go and do it!

Jeremie: Bright, wholehearted and passionate people! If you would like to become an Aiducator, send us an email at info@aiducation.org and tell us about yourself!

In a next post, we will put spotlight on our Kenyan team. Stay with us!

A child from a single-parent family, with her father out of work, it was far from certain that Jeminah would ever be able to attend secondary school. Indeed, such was her family’s financial hardship that, at one stage, they gave serious thought to arranging an early marriage for her. Nevertheless, Jeminah excelled at primary school, coming top of her year group in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) with a score of 382. Her strong academic performance, especially in Languages, Maths and Sciences, fuelled her ambition to be a surgeon.

Jeminah’s appliaction form

When we received Jeminah’s application for an Aiducation scholarship, her family was in a very difficult financial situation, and Jeminah’s hopes of getting quality education were rapidly fading away. Although she had been very successful at the KCPE, her grades were initially withheld, due to school fee arrears of £200. Going to secondary school seemed completely impossible, with fees averaging £1,500 – a figure totally out of the reach of her jobless father.