Nestlé has set aside KSH 9million to benefit students under its Coffee Aroma Scholarship that targets Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) top five percentile students drawn from families in coffee farming communities in Central and Eastern Kenya.
The company reiterated its commitment to farming communities during a motivation and mentorship workshop in Thika where it hosted 30 of the scholarship beneficiaries. The forum was organized to inspire and help the students learn from each other. Nestlé’s staff also volunteered to mentor each of the beneficiaries by promising to follow through the learner’s academic journey.
“The Coffee Aroma Scholarship motivation workshop offers a platform of listening to success stories from the students, understanding the challenges they face and help them in experience sharing. The assigned motivation team will share their experiences, motivate the students and continuously follow through their progress, Ms. Ciru Miring’u, the Managing Director of Nestlé East Africa.
The Coffee Aroma Scholarship ensures that brilliant and deserving children from coffee growing areas of Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, Nyeri and Kirinyaga Counties get a chance to study through High School. “Through our partnership with Coffee Management Services (CMS), farmers under the Nescafé Plan initiative in the areas will have the assurance that their children will receive the best education irrespective of their parents’ circumstances,” said Ms. Miring’u.
The Coffee Aroma Scholarship programme is implemented under The Nescafé Plan initiative started in 2011. Nestlé is working with over 42,000 coffee farmers assisting them to become more self-sufficient and more successful in their holistic farming practices.
Since 2011, Nestlé and CMS have created improved farming practices, which have resulted in better yield and quality through the provision of technical advice to farmers in various parts of the country. This has resulted in improved income and better access to farm inputs that are relevant to the soil conditions.
