At CMETrust, we believe education is a human right and that every child should have access to education regardless of where they live or their family’s income. We also believe education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming communities, nations, and the world. 

In fact, our theory of change is simple: we believe that education empowers individuals, that empowered individuals help Mathare thrive, and that a thriving Mathare will help Kenya prosper.

Unfortunately, for many families in Mathare, secondary school education is out of reach. Although primary school is free in Kenya, secondary school is still prohibitively expensive. Most families in Mathare cannot afford to pay for tuition fees, uniforms, school supplies, transportation, and other associated expenses. This means many young people are left out of school, putting them at risk of being forced into child labour, early marriage, drug trafficking, crime, etc. This isn’t good for the individual, their family, or the community. By providing scholarships, CMETrust is ensuring that young people can instead develop their talents and put them to use positively. 

When we talk about education, we don’t just mean the formal education that happens in a classroom. In addition to offering secondary school scholarships and post-secondary school support, CMETrust runs a complementary school break program for our scholars while they are back in Mathare on their holidays. This informal education program provides our scholars with personal and professional skills beyond what they can gain at school. We also offer a three-month computer training course in partnership with KCITI to all our secondary school graduates to ensure they have the skills to succeed in today’s digital world.

Our goal is to create a critical mass of educated youth who can transform their lives, their families, their community, their country – and the world! 

If you believe in education, we invite you to get involved today!