A needy boy whose secondary education was sponsored by the Co-operative Bank has emerged as one of Kenya’s best performers in the 2023 KCSE examinations.

This is after the boy, Villa Kamore Muthagania, scored straight As in the examinations. Kamore who was a student at Kagumo High School in Nyeri got the top marks of 84 points.

Kamore recalled that after scoring 406 marks in his KCPE, his father fell sick. His family went low on finances to a point where he saw now chance of joining Kagumo High School where he had received an admission letter.

“We desperate, we didn’t think I would be able to join Kagumo, especially amidst my father’s sickness. But then Co-op Bank came in and offered me a scholarship,” said Kamore.

After the end of the first term, he lost his father. “My dad passed away just after we went on half term break. My older brother Kelvin Thiga took on the role of father figure to assist me, my mom and our family,” said Kamore.

“With all the effort that I had received, I promised myself that I would not let my family and my sponsors down. I vowed to make my family proud; I vowed to make the my late father smile from heaven and I am glad that I have performed well and fulfilled these vows.”

Villa Kamore is one of over 10,000 students who have been supported through their education by the Co-op Bank Foundation.

A spot check on the foundation reveals that since the foundation launched its education sponsorship program, over 9,000 students  have been supported through their secondary education.

Inside the career profile of Co-op Bank CEO Dr. Gideon Muriuki

As of the 2022 academic year, over 650 secondary school students were being supported by the bank while another over 500 students  were supported through university.

“A good education is critical to improving income, employment and enterprise opportunities. Lack of a good educational foundation leads to disparities which limit work and life opportunities for needy students,” said Co-op Bank in a statement to Bizna Kenya.