How students’ lives improve with sponsorship
CES depends on teachers such as Mulanda David Osinya – a mathematics teacher at Lions High School, in Kisumu, Kenya – to help us make sure that our donors’ contributions go to students who are genuinely “needy, bright, and disciplined. Mr. Osinya has seen many students supported by CES pass through the school and on to a brighter future.
CES Canada Chair Carl Friesen interviewed David Osinya on a visit to the CES office in June 2025. There is a video of this interview here, but we thought his perspective so important that we’ve included a lightly-edited version of what he had to say, here:
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My name is Mulanda David Osinya. I am a Maths teacher at Lions High School in Kisumu County, Kenya. It’s a mixed school – both boys and girls, and I’ve been teaching here for over 15 years. In that time, I’ve interacted with many of our students.
Most of them come from very humble backgrounds, and the vast majority – almost 80 percent – are either partial or complete orphans. This is partly because Kisumu County is a hotspot for HIV/Aids infections. Because of their family poverty, finding the funding to attend school is a big challenge for most of our students.
This means that any funding that comes in, to provide scholarships, is very much appreciated.
A night-and-day difference between two students
If you compare two students – one who is well funded and one who is not – you will see big differences.
Most of the time, a non-funded student will be spending most of their time at home. They will miss classes and fall behind their classmates.
If they do find a way to attend classes, generally they can’t afford to pay for the lunch that the school provides. My experience as a teacher has shown me that it’s very hard to teach a hungry student. They may be able to concentrate some during the first part of the morning, but by the afternoon most just can’t focus on learning. This is partly because in many of the families these students come from, the school lunch is the only meal they’ll get until the following day.
This is particularly problematic for girl students. Because they are hungry, they are easily convinced or lured by some men into engaging in unwanted sexual activities. This may result in them getting pregnant or getting some sexually-transmitted disease.
On the other hand, for a student who is sponsored and has a secure source of funding for school from an organization such as Community Education Services, it’s a very different outcome. They are able to be in school most of their time and because they can access the school lunch, their ability to concentrate improves.
Their personalities are on another level. They show their increased confidence in the way they walk, and in the way they express themselves more eloquently. And, their exam performance improves. That’s particularly in case of the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (Editor says: The KCSE is a national examination given each year to students finishing secondary school. Getting good marks on the KCSE is hugely influential in which post-secondary institution – if any – the student is invited to join).
A brighter future for sponsored students
When they pass the KCSE, many of our students go on to university, where they’re able to take courses that will benefit them, their families and their communities. We’ve had many students from Lions go on to earn their Masters degree and beyond.
This is why, as a teacher, I’m deeply grateful to CES for supporting our students. We hope that more sponsors will join in, so we can continue to help needy students get an education.