• • Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela

• • Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.  Martin Luther King, Jr.

Key Objectives of the IBD Education Funding Model

1. Identify and support underprivileged learners through quality education
2. Encourage academic excellence by rewarding outstanding performers

Education remains the timeless pillar for societal transformation, a priceless and borderless value that equalises opportunities for all learners irrespective of their ethnic extraction or social status. Achieving national, regional, and international agenda for transformation depends on a well-educated and well-cultured workforce.

Growing up in rural Kenya by a seasonal pool of water locally referred to as Wadh Ber, translated “the pool of charm”, I only experienced a world of contradictions. There was no charm to celebrate around, smoky paraffin lanterns in a grass-thatched and mud-walled house making it even harder to study at night. Ironically, the water of the putative Wadh Ber was permanently smelly. Lacking formal education, hence not salaried employees, my late parents would struggle with casual labour for meagre wages to take me through post-primary schooling. It did not help that the secondary school I had to join with a higher grade than required because of limited resources was a low-cost and teacher-deprived district school with no electricity, no dining hall- eating under trees being the norm, and another norm being improvising sackcloth and old newspapers to cover the otherwise gaping dormitory window spaces without window glasses, to mention just a few. Due to the lack of teachers, some key subject columns, English included, would be empty in the report cards for some terms. My parents died under 58 and my siblings under 35. However, what passes for a sweet aroma around me today has been a metaphorically transformative experience because of the quality education I eventually attained through the support of kind individuals and scholarship organisations. Due to this experience, I resolved early to ensure that I dispense my talents, honed skills, networks, and all the resource pools I can build through collective efforts to ensure that no underprivileged learner misses the transformative benefits of quality education. I’ve been so consumed by this vision that it has become my benevolent obsession to be thinking and talking about youth mentorship, education, and knowledge-led transformation all the time – tirelessly, and even annoyingly at times to those who prefer topics of discussion not related to education!

Nashon Adero, Founder, IBD

The Impact Borderless Digital Education Fund (IBD-EDF) is the latest IBD flagship programme meant to support needy and gifted youth to realise their diverse educational dreams. To deliver on its mission, IBD-EDF engages teachers, learners, and the local community to work collectively towards delivering on all the key results areas of Quality Education (SDG 4). IBD-EDF has been inspired by the desire to bequeath posterity a rich legacy in memory of the people dear to the IBD Founder who lost their lives at a time they were living out their best examples in pursuing or supporting high educational goals.

The IBD-EDF Scholarship Nomination Formula

Pre-qualified candidates apply to be beneficiaries of IBD-EDF and deserving cases are determined using a weighted multicriteria model that ensures transparency, fairness, and a strong involvement of teachers and the local community as reliable witnesses. X (academic grade), Y (level of need, including gender justice considerations), Z (strength of recommendations), and P (candidate’s own presentation and defence of the application) and are the key variables considered.

W_i = 0.25X+0.20Y+0.25Z+0.30P is the Normalised Weighted Scholarship Index for determining the scholarship recipient, i. The result in 2 d.p. is such that 0.00≤W_i≤100.00. For a candidate to qualify for the IBD-EDF Scholarship, the score on W_i should be at least 70.00.

The IBD-EDF initiative strives to provide quality education to deserving young learners in Kenya. This model is positioned to help bridge the educational gap, focusing on in-demand future skills and offering a transformative experience. The platform is not just about providing access to education but ensuring that the beneficiaries are well-prepared to face the future as responsible global citizens with resilience and adaptability.

How to be a Sponsor

The Founder of IBD directs a share of his royalties from book publications to the scholarship kitty (visit this link for details).

To be a sponsor of this noble initiative, use the contacts above and receive the complete document detailing the underpinning inspiration, philosophy, and concept of IBD-EDF. Think “without the box” – hence, cash of any amount and any non-cash donation, such as both new and used tablets, calculators, laptop, solar lamp, books, stopwatch, etc. that can support quality education (#SDG 4) for underprivileged but passionate learners.

Testimonials

“I was at that time in my life I knew continuing with the final and critical stage of my education all depended on clearing my fee balance within 24 hours. No one from my already deprived circles could help. IBD-EDF literally redeemed my future as I got a confirmation call that my application, strongly supported by our head teacher and community witnesses of my extremely needy situation, was successful. I thank the Founder of IBD for this vision and all the kind donors drawn from all over the world for this noble initiative!” (Anonymous, as preferred, Bomet, Kenya).