The Agatha Mawondo Foundation

Newsletter
Donations
About
Contacts
Scholarships

Our National Heroes: Mwaisakenyi Wins Presidential Recognition

Dr. Marangi MboghoBy Marangi Mbogho, Ph.D
AMF Secretary


October, 2020  |  Kenya

During the Mashujaa Day celebrations on 20th October, 2020, among the youthful heroes that the president recognised, one of them was from our Taita Taveta County. Malombo Mwaisakenyi, has now earned our government’s recognition for a project done together with his colleague that had earned them an international award. We featured Mr. Mwaisakenyi in our AMF Newsletter.

Meeting held at Sarova Taita Lodge

As we plan to inaugurate Agatha Mawondo Foundation, there is need also to reflect back on our history. This will help us to go through our collective community memory lane and come up with a list of our departed heroes so that we can celebrate them posthumously. This will begin to give meaning to the youth to embrace our culture and be proud of what we are.

A New Prize at Murray Girls High School

Dr. Marangi MboghoBy Marangi Mbogho, Ph.D
AMF Secretary


July, 2020  |  Kenya

The proposed mathematics prize will go to the highest scoring girl in at Murray Girls High School in Taita Taveta County in honour of the late Agatha Mawondo who was an alumna and teacher at the same school.

Meeting held at Sarova Taita Lodge
AMF executive meeting held at Sarova Taita Lodge to discuss proposed Mathematics prize.
From Left: Prof Mwakio Tole; Mr Wilmot Mwadilo, AMF Treasury; Prof Justin Irina, AMF Chair; Dr Marangi Mbogho, AMF Secretary

This prize would be sponsored by the late Agatha's nephew, Professor Mwakio Tole.

The meeting resolved that this is a good initiative and that once the Foundation is registered by the NGO Council of Kenya, the launch of the prize will take place. Notable guests will be invited to attend the occasion.
Continue ...

Beyond a Moral Responsibility

Dr. Marangi MboghoBy Marangi Mbogho, Ph.D
AMF Secretary


May, 2017  |  Kenya

Investing in the education of young people in our communities:

  • First; education is a human rights issue.
  • Second; education has implications in socio-economic, cultural, political and geopolitical advancement of communities.
  • Third; lack, inequality or gaps in education breed poverty, radicalisation of youth and is a source of conflict among communities and nations.

In Kenya's Taita-Taveta County, students regularly get sent home for tuition arrears. Currently, the prices for basic food items have skyrocketed. Most of the poor rural parents cannot meet daily domestic needs for their families, let alone find the money to pay school fees.

The head-teachers cannot keep students who are in default because the fees structure is fixed. It cannot be adjusted to accommodate poor students. It is only the children of the middle class, business people and the political class that are in school. The masses have to fend for themselves.

Poverty begets poverty. It is the survival of the fittest. Supporting the education of our most vulnerable youth is a quest against extinction itself.

The Agatha Mawondo Foundation

Back


The Agatha Mawondo Foundation works to inspire a generation of trailblazers by giving them a chance to excel through scholarship opportunities.


After the Bombolulu Girls High School fire tragedy in 1997, the Government established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the fire. This commission was headed by Retired Bishop Imathiu of the Methodist Church of Kenya. The appointed Commissioners were - the late Ambassador, Japhet Kiti; educationist, Dr. Eddah Gachukia; law maker, Samuel Ng'eny; scholar, Dr Marangi Mbogho and other prominent Kenyans.

During an evening chat at Serena Beach Hotel in Mombasa, a heated debate between Ambassador Kiti and Dr Gachukia arose. It was about poor academic performance in the Coast Province. Ambassador Kiti mentioned that notwithstanding the persistent poor academic performance in recent years, the first Kenyan lady in East and Central Africa to graduate with a BA from Makerere University College in 1958, was one, Agatha Susan Mawondo, from Taita Taveta District, in Coast Province.

Further, the student who scored the highest marks nationally in the 2010 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination was one, Lydia Katini Mwangasha from Taita-Taveta County. This news brought a lot of excitement among the Taita community and threw the County into a frenzy of joy and celebrations not witnessed in recent times. "The 17-year-old has not only put Taita-Taveta in the limelight, but has also jolted the region from academic slumber." The Standard, 11 March, 2011.

The phenomenal achievements of Agatha Mawondo in 1958 and Lydia Mwangasha in 2011 inspired Dr. Marangi Mbogho to establish the Agatha Mawondo Foundation, with the main objective being to create bursaries in aid of the many financially needy students in Taita Taveta County. The Foundation seeks to conclude that 1997 intense debate in Mombasa, by showing that the County is not lacking in intellectual capacity, but in opportunities that will allow students to learn without disruption. The ever crippling socio-economic hardships contribute greatly to poor performance in education.

On March 4th, 2011, Dr. Marangi Mbogho called Agatha Mawondo, introduced himself, and the idea of establishing a Foundation in her honour.

Ms Mawondo was most humbled by this proposal and broke down momentarily, due to the joy of an unknown person honouring her achievement that late in her life and using it for the greater good.

She gave her consent and the seed of the Agatha Mawondo Foundation was planted upon the historic achievements of two humble daughters from the Taita community.

The Agatha Mawondo Foundation has already started its mission by offering a partial scholarship to its first beneficiary, John Mwachia, of Voi Boys Secondary School. We aim to benefit as many needy students as possible so they can stay in school and graduate with distinction. In partnership with school Principals, County Directors of Education and Teacher Service Commission, the AMF has identified some of the neediest students and hopes to offer partial or full scholarships.

Back

Agatha Mawondo Foundation
P.O.Box 190-80308
Voi, Kenya
agathamawondo.com
info@agathamawondo.com
donation@agathamawondo.com


It Takes a Village!

Please contribute to the education of financially vulnerable, high achieving, high school students in Taita-Taveta County, Kenya.

With Gratitude
We are deeply grateful to the following people and organizations:

  • The Kenya diaspora in the United States for contributions towards John Mwachia's scholarship
  • Trustee contributors:
    • Justin Irina
    • Isaac Mruttu
    • Julius Mwabora
    • Job Tole
    • Marangi Mbogho
  • tictocmind™ Technologies for all their technical support

Thank You, Very Much!

Plant A Seed

Back

Agatha Mawondo Foundation
P.O.Box 190-80308
Voi, Kenya

agathamawondo.com
info@agathamawondo.com
donation@agathamawondo.com

Interim AMF Trustees:

  • Prof Nimrod Tole
  • Prof Justin Irina
  • Prof Agnes Mwang'ombe
  • Prof Clara Lalaseru Momanyi
  • Prof Julius Mwabora
  • Major Retired Anderson Wamiri
  • Mr Isaac Mruttu
  • Mr Wilmot Mwadilo
  • Dr Marangi Mbogho

The composition of this initial committee was formed by the desire to include all communities, and that the nominated persons would add value to the Foundation.

Registered Trustees:

  • Margaret Mwakima
  • Prof. Justin IrinaProf. Justin Irina
  • Dr. Marangi MboghoDr Marangi Mbogho
  • Wilmot Mwadilo, Interim TreasurerMr Wilmot Mwadilo
  • Mr. Job ToleJob Tole
  • Mr. Julius MwaboraProf Julius Mwabora
  • Mghoi MachariaRose Mghoi
  • Tabu-IrinaTabu Irina

Trust Deed:

The Trust Deed for the Foundation is registered with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, as P/S No.1517, dated February 25, 2014.

Copyrights 2017- tictocmind Technologies