120 students from poor families get bursaries

Some 120 students from poor families have received bursaries amounting to over Sh1.8 million.

The money was issued under the Affirmative Action and Social Development Fund by Taita Taveta Woman Representative Joyce Lay on Sunday.

According to Ms Lay, scores of girls had dropped out of school due to early marriages and pregnancies and others due to lack of school fees occasioned by high poverty levels.

Speaking at the Mwatate CDF Hall yesterday after distributing the money, the MP said the beneficiaries were secondary and university students from poor families.

The MP challenged the county and national governments to increase their bursary allocations to cater for more deserving students.

"The girl child education is now under threat as more young girls are dropping out of school due to lack of school fees, poverty, early pregnancies and marriages, child prostitution and child labour. This trend must stop for the sake of the girl child's education," she said.

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Lay also distributed Sh450,000 and Sh250,000 to support the table banking initiative for local women and to boost the fight against widespread sale and consumption of illicit brews and drugs respectively.