FACTFILE

SKET is run entirely by volunteers and unlike larger Charities does not have a publicity department producing leaflets, neither does it pressurise donors with letters. It does produce an occasional newsletter and undertakes to provide an annual personal update to each of our sponsors. Consequently our overheads are very low at 1% .

Income is derived mainly from individual sponsors (2017, about 45), from four Kent Churches together with one Corporate Donor. Gift Aid is claimed that increases donations by 25%. The prerequisite is that donors have to fulfil the UK Inland Revenue requirement of being Tax Payers.

Sponsors can be anonymous but most enjoy letters etc from the boy or girl they choose to help and SKET sets up the means of communication and photos etc. Students do not necessarily expect you to write back but again you are free to do so.

These are dealt with promptly on an informal and personal basis. A flexible approach allows SKET to arrange sponsorships that meet the individual preferences of both donor and recipient. When three separate UK sponsors were in Kenya on holiday, for example, they requested if they could meet the students they were supporting. This was arranged and was an occasion of great value to all.

This year 2018, one student attending a Government secondary boarding school is required to pay roughly £28/month (£350 pa) that is inclusive of board and tuition, slightly down due to part Kenya Government educational support for the tuition component. In the case of a day school, the figure is £15/month. Secondary education in Kenya lasts for 4 years culminating in an exam known as the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). It is true to say that without this, a student’s progress into further study or employment is very difficult.

The Govt. cannot afford free Sec schooling. Boarding schools are the norm for many reasons. Kenya is a very poor country. Nearly all our students come from families living off the land who sometimes face the uncertainties of climate. Some are orphans.

The financial sacrifice families make to pay for schooling has no parallel in UK. As a sponsor whatever point you may be involved in helping a young student, you can be assured that they would be very unlikely to be able to find the fees and attend school if it were not for you. Some would have started and then have had to terminate as they run into arrears. Others on cost alone cannot even start secondary despite good Primary results. Such cases are common and once SKET has done its checks, they can be helped. . Two thirds of our students are connected one to one with a sponsor in UK and our experience of setting up such a linkage is that it reveals how an unlikely friendship can bring satisfaction in the hearts of many.

It is timely to thank all of you for your support that has enabled SKET to buck the trend facing many charities and tell you of modest growth. How nice to also report that listening to our donors, Field Officers and those young people being helped in Africa indicates things are running smoothly.

SKET has been in existence for ten years with more than 500 students registered. Some students have left us having completed secondary school. While we do follow the performances of those we help as they proceed through school, we are not solely preoccupied with exam grades and see the benefits of completing secondary education in a broader sense whereby young people gain maturity to manage their lives better, even if career opportunities are less than they are in Europe. Meeting ex SKET students confirms this as they pursue their various ideas.

In the past year SKET has been asked to share its experiences and give advice to three recently formed local charities where there is some overlap of objectives. From these discussions it is apparent that one of our main strengths is our knowledge of Kenya and the presence there of our Field Officers and Trustees.This ensures all of our funds are accounted for in an environment where misappropriation of funds is common.

Notes from Kenya HQ
from the Secretary and Jane recently returned from Kenya

Our home is situated 30miles from the Capital and lies in the rolling grasslands occupied by Masai pastoralists. A beautiful place where life for most is sustained by the simple pattern ….rain = grass = food. So when rain is short, life gets hard. SKET manages one program in this area and another area 80 miles to the north.

Dawn in the bush is a brief but magical time and justifies rising early. From this moment another day unfolds and over breakfast John, one of our Field Officers, joins us for tea to talk about the day’s agenda. There is a knock on our door…A Masai lady, with her daughter. They have heard about SKET and walked far. More tea is made and we sit and listen…. ‘The girl has done well at Primary but there is no money for Secondary. Can we help?” We take notes and a photo and add the name to our reserves. We can’t spend money we have not got.. but maybe? (see photo below)

Such occasions whatever their outcome remind us of fundamental human values and are moving. Africa can daily exasperate and exhilarate, bring weariness and uplift, but despite its many problems, it has a sort of inbuilt optimism that keeps people going through thick and thin. Let us hope that this human resource plus our help can bring change for the better. To those that might say SKET barely scratches the surface of poverty, so is it worth it? Ask the 150 students who have or are being helped and those in UK happy to support SKET and let it happen. Both groups say it is worth it.

Sevenoak Kenya Education Trust (SKET) Registered Charity No 1118914