Starehe Boys Centre in crisis as donor aid dries up

Any troubles at the once premiere high school in Kenya, Starehe Boys Centre, usually jolts the entire education fraternity.

And that was the case earlier this week when it emerged that the institution is grappling with a financial crisis that threatens to affect the learning of more than 600 students.

The school has 860 students depending on the support of sponsors and the Nation has learnt that 613 of them could lose out on their education.

Of the approximately 1,000 boys, 70 per cent rely on Starehe for food, accommodation, health and educational needs. The rest pay fees.

The institution’s acting director Josphat Mwaura said they require about Sh150 million  to run the facility. Out of that amount, the alumni of the institution under the Old Starehean Society (OSS) has raised Sh25 million.

DISRUPTED

“We have no reason to believe that their education will be disrupted,” Mr Mwaura told Sunday Nation when asked the worst that could happen if no financial help comes along.

 “The world has never failed us. Even now we believe it won’t fail us. We have proven that any boy can be taken from any corner of the country and be transformed through proper character to be a capable person in the society.”

Founded in 1959 by the late Dr Geoffrey Griffin, who died on June 28, 2005 at the age of 72, and other two co-founders, Geoffrey Geturo and Joseph Gikubu (both who have died), Starehe is a charitable institution that provides care and education for boys in need.

Admission to the school is a rigorous process that aims at ensuring only the most deserving students are get in.

The school declined the order for a day stream at the institution earlier this year, with the management saying it was not ready for the culture shock. They reportedly did not want to rattle the founder any more than they have done, with standards plummeting since his death.

SPONSORS

Mr Mwaura said each of the sponsored students requires approximately Sh140,000 for fees and other requirements annually.

“This year alone we require about Sh85 million for the learners who do not have sponsors,” Mr Mwaura said.

The financial crisis has brought to light the perceived short-sightedness of the management over sustainability of the funding because of donor fatigue and their change of priorities over the last four years.

In fact, the OSS has been one of the biggest donors after donor funding dwindled.

The school says the Griffin Memorial Endowment Trust Fund was established by the Managing Committee to ensure that the future of Starehe is secured.

The new financing model would boost its revenue capacity from the funds’ investment to meet the costs of non-fee paying students and also cushion them from any risks that can be caused by declining sponsorship from donors.

DONOR FATIGUE

Youth Enterprise Development Fund chairperson Ronald Osumba, an alumni of the school, said they are contemplating restructuring the cost aspect of running the school.

“That is the cost of care for the boys, human resource and personnel and other logistics. We must be more efficient to secure the future of the learners,” Mr Osumba said, adding “No student has ever left for lack of fees and we don’t envisage such a situation. We want the best for those students.”

OSS secretary Muratha Kinuthia said donor fatigue set in when they least expected, adding that Starehe needs its alumni more than ever before.

“Given the successes we have achieved, it gives me confidence that no challenge is insurmountable.

“Starehe needs the old boys whose lives have been transformed from poverty to prosperity to give back to their alma mater,” Mr Kinuthia said.

BUILD CHARACTER

Another alumni, Mr Ken Miruka, who is the Executive Director at OSS, said the school’s main agenda is to build the character of the man than about his abilities.

The institution has been bedevilled with administrative challenges since the death of Dr Griffin.

In March, a section of employees went on a go-slow, temporarily disrupting operations at the school as they demanded better pay and improved working conditions.

The group mainly comprising non-teaching staff held a demonstration outside the school’s gate demanding action on their “long standing” grievances forcing representatives from the Ministry of Education and the sub county director of education to visit and hold closed-door meetings with the management seeking to end the crisis.