We are Open World Leadership Society (OWLS), a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) education nonprofit. Since 2009, we have been collaborating with the Geno Youth Society, a youth group in rural western Kenya, to improve the learning opportunities for the next generation of Kenyans. Geno translates to “hope” in Dholou, the language spoken in this region, and it is in the spirit of fostering hope that we launched the OWLS initiative. Owls represent wisdom, just as this region of Kenya has done for generations, historically producing the highest per capita rate of PhDs in the entire country. We strive to ensure this trend continues by promoting wise, proven, hard-working, and talented students to become leaders within their region, and beyond.
The recent economic turmoil in Kenya has severely curtailed educational opportunities in this region. All levels of donation are welcome. Your generosity goes a long way to help these students achieve academic greatness! Without assistance like yours, these children typically go on to be small-scale farmers or toil away at menial labor positions to earn a living, dashing their dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, airline pilots, authors, business owners, and government officials. Daily financial hardships mean the loss of even the most basic opportunities to learn and grow through continuing education. Without our fundraising, their dream of contributing to the open world beyond their village—with the added benefit of supporting their families back home and improving the country they love—is dim. We do not have to sit back and watch their dreams fade. We have a better plan!
For the past three years, OWLS has run a pilot program fully funding school tuition and room and board fees of five highly-deserving young people in the region. As a result, OWLS and Geno Youth have recently received the endorsement of Kenya’s National Ministry of Education. The Kenyan government and the local community wish to see this program expand and reach more eligible students. Let's take action together to make this wish a reality!
Our mission is to foster education for underprivileged youth. We work to promote the advancement of high-performing students and to support the area’s developing education system.
Short- and Long-Term Goals:
* Short-term: First, provide much-needed school supplies to primary and secondary students in Siaya and Kisumu counties. Second, with the funds collected here, we aim to advance 18 (nine per county) top-performing secondary students per year to high-ranking, private schools. With the cost of secondary school tuition, room & board, and school supplies, this comes to approximately $700-$900 per year, per student, which amounts to 50% or more of the average annual household income in rural Kenya.
* Long-term: Finance tuition for four-year, university degree programs and provide all materials and housing for up to 12 of our sponsored top-performing private secondary school graduates for each year they are enrolled at university. Average cost of sponsoring one university student per year varies greatly, between ~$1,400 for a Humanities degree program, and $4,700 for a degree program in Medicine & Surgery, for example.
All donors receive correspondence information to keep up with the progress updates on our students as they report through our channels on the ground. (This is typically done at the end of each semester.) Direct contact with a sponsored student can be provided at the discretion of each student, which is usually welcomed.
Join us to make a major impact on and to become a bright light in the lives of these brilliant boys and girls. With hard work and determination, their dreams CAN come true, along with donations provided by kind and generous donors, just like you! With your help, the open world awaits!