I Stretch My Hand High School Scholarship Program

About US:

I Stretch My Hand, a Canadian non-profit organization registered as a charity with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA), aims to improve education, empower, and transform the lives of young people in Canada and Africa. Currently, we operate two programs;

High School Scholarship:

We provide a 4-year scholarship to primary school graduates from our community in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Our primary objective is to remove financial barriers that hinder access to quality education. By covering expenses such as tuition fees, student allowances, school materials, transportation costs, and other educational necessities, we enable talented students to pursue higher education. This not only contributes to their personal growth and success but also enhances the well-being of the community. Currently, our program is active in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya.

Mentorship Program:

We understand that educational journeys can be challenging, so we provide invaluable guidance and support through our mentorship initiative. This program extends to our scholarship recipients and the wider community youth. We offer career guidance and facilitate connections between university students and community members pursuing similar fields of study. Our mentorship efforts currently benefit individuals in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Calgary, and Kitchener where a significant portion of our community resides.

The Goal

While we hope to be able to greatly increase the number of students we can support yearly, we have financial constraints since 90% of our finances are directly from members' contributions. In 2021, we took our first scholarship beneficiaries (picture below). Each student requires $4,000 CAD to complete 4 years of education. This amount covers a student: tuition fees, school materials, transport costs to and from school, and other school-related costs. Since this cohort will complete their High School in 2024, our aim is to have a new cohort of 5 students to sponsor for the following 4-years.

Given the organization’s community-based nature, the organization itself has no operational costs. This means that 100% of the funds you donate go directly to the education of Kakuma students.

We thank you for your donation that will rejoice not just the students, but a whole community.