SECONDARY SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Accountability, and Long-Term Student Success

The Secondary School Department at Elimisha Watoto Foundation is designed to safeguard learners during one of the most critical stages of their education journey. This department ensures that academically deserving students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are not only enrolled in secondary school, but are supported consistently, monitored closely, and guided purposefully through completion.

Secondary education is where many vulnerable learners are most at risk of dropping out. Elimisha intervenes with a structured, relationship-driven model that prioritizes continuity, accountability, and wellbeing.

Our Three Pillars of Support

All secondary school interventions are anchored on three interdependent pillars:

1. Access to Quality

We remove financial and material barriers that prevent students from staying in school by:

  • Paying school fees directly to institutions
  • Supporting essential learning requirements such as uniforms and basic learning materials
  • Ensuring timely intervention where financial distress threatens attendance or continuity

Our focus is not enrolment alone but retention and completion.

2. Academic Guardianship and Learner Holistic Support

Each student is placed under active academic guardianship that includes:

  • Continuous academic monitoring through termly school reports
  • Mentorship focused on discipline, goal-setting, and personal development
  • Well-bring support to address emotional, behavioural, and social challenges
  • Early identification of risks such as absenteeism, declining performance, or disengagement

This pillar ensures that learners are supported as whole individuals, not just fee beneficiaries.

3. Institutional Capacity Strengthening

We operate a strong accountability framework to ensure impact and transparency:

  • Verified school documentation before disbursement of funds
  • Term-by-term performance tracking
  • Clear records of attendance, conduct, and progression
  • Structured preparation for transition to tertiary education, TVETs, or alternative pathways

Every learner’s journey is documented, reviewed, and guided.

The Role of the Liaison Office

The Liaison Office is the operational backbone of the Secondary School Department. It serves as the direct link between the Foundation, schools, students, and families.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Acting as the primary point of contact with partner schools
  • Verifying school fee structures, invoices, and academic reports
  • Conducting routine follow-ups with students and school administrators
  • Identifying early warning signs and escalating concerns for intervention
  • Coordinating mentorship, counselling, and disciplinary support where needed
  • Maintaining accurate student records and accountability documentation

Through the Liaison Office, Elimisha ensures that support is active, responsive, and grounded in real-time information from the field.

Liaison officer with two students

Who We Support

Students in the Secondary School Program are:

  • Academically promising
  • From financially constrained households
  • Identified through school referrals, community networks, and vulnerability assessments

Selection is guided by clear criteria and supported by documentation to ensure fairness, transparency, and impact integrity.

Impact & Progress

The Secondary School Department has recorded:

  • Steady growth in student numbers across multiple counties
  • High retention and progression rates among supported learners
  • Improved academic discipline, confidence, and school engagement
  • Strong collaboration with schools through the Liaison Office model

This measured growth allows the Foundation to scale responsibly while maintaining quality.

 

Looking Forward

As Kenya transitions under Competency-Based Education, the Secondary School Department is strengthening:

  • Early career awareness and pathway guidance
  • Stronger transition support into tertiary education and vocational training
  • Parent engagement to reinforce shared responsibility

Our commitment remains clear:

To walk with learners through secondary school, protect their potential, and prepare them for life beyond the classroom.

Department tEAM

Marsha Sitati
Marsha Sitati

Head Liaison Officer

Ashley Otieno
Ashley Otieno

Partnership Liaison Officer

Wendy Achieng
Wendy Achieng

Liaison Officer - Nairobi Cluster

Princeton Nyanja
Princeton Nyanja

Field Supervisor

Lucy Mueni
Lucy Mueni

Administrative Liaison Officer

Elizabeth Mwania
Elizabeth Mwania

Administrative Assistant