ACCES-ing education

ACCES-ing education
Local couple works to help
educate Kenyan students

by Tracy Holmes
Peace Arch News, September 16, 1998

Accessing the hope of a brighter future takes time, education and money. For the past five years, Beth and George Scott have worked to help less fortunate students in Kenya find that hope through education scholarships. Operating the African Canadian Continuing Education Society (ACCES), the Scotts have to date mustered up enough local support to see almost 200 Kenyan students enroll in various post-secondary programs. Sixty-six of those have graduated.

Scott, a retired Surrey school administrator, said such results make it all worthwhile. "They are so grateful," she said of the recipient Kenyan students. "We like doing this, and when you do something like this, the rewards come to you." To put a Kenyan student through one year of post-secondary school – covering fees and room and board – costs Canadian supporters $360, said Scott. At present, the society has more than 100 donors. In February, it was fortunate to be the recipient of a grant from the Canadian International Development Agency which will see it receive $60,000 towards the cause every year for the next three years. Topping that up with an additional $30,000, ACCES is directing the money toward 90 students.

ACCES functions with a 10-person board, and two agents working out of Kakamega, Kenya, which is located near Uganda. The agents are usually retirees, said Scott, who have experience in the education system. They seek out those students in need of scholarship assistance, and send the information back to the society, which then directs the funds, in the student's name, to the institution they will be attending, Sometimes the scholarship donor and the Kenyan student correspond, said Scott.

'Things are not going well in Kenya; these are exceedingly poor people," she said, noting approximately 30 per cent of Kenyans don't even get a chance to go to school, '(but) they tend to be very bright. Without (the scholarship), they don't have anything." Scott stressed that all of the $400 donations go directly to the cause. Overhead costs are covered in other ways.

In an effort to keep more in touch with the personal side of the work they do, the Scotts make a habit of travelling to Kenya at least every other year. This year, they will make their second trip to the heavily populated rural city in December to attend special workshops organized for graduates and meet some of the students.

They also recently attended the International Association of Volunteer Effort in Edmonton, a move Scott said inspired them. "You hear stories about how one person can make a difference. We just want to do this." While Scott knows the value of the work the society is doing, she said they also realize the importance of not interfering with the Kenyan society itself, and only being available for as long as they are needed. "It's a very important principle of foreign aid that you not continue the dependency. We have to look toward the time when we won't be giving the scholarships. We're very anxious not to impose our culture on the Kenyan people. They're quite capable people."
Amos Musungu, Rueben Tingu, Joseph Nhganyi and Romulus Okoth: Amos Musungu, Rueben Tingu, Joseph Nhganyi and Romulus Okoth all graduated from Kenya's Egerton University thanks to ACCES scholarships.