Wings to Fly Scholars Emerge Top in 2019 KCSE Results

• 2019 Wings to Fly Cohort Achieve 81pct University Entry Qualification Rate

The number of the 2019 Wings to Fly cohort posted performance improved in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results compared to 2018.

In the results, 24 scholars managed to score a mean grade of A (plain) while 199 scored a mean of A- (minus). Of the 2016 Wings to Fly cohort of 1,868 who were examined, 1,519 students managed to score a mean grade of C+ and above.

In 2018 results, 15 scholars scored straight As and 157 had A minuses.

This year’s performance saw the class achieve a university entry qualification rate of 81% against a national rate of 18%.

Dr. James Mwangi, Equity Group’s Managing Director, and chief executive applauded the students for their commitment and hard work. Commenting on the performance, Dr. Mwangi said, “As an organization, we are proud to be part of this journey. It is fulfilling and rewarding to witness the impact of the program on the lives of our scholars and the community at large. At Wings to Fly, we champion academic excellence, the development of a value-centered life, the nurturing of transformative leadership and embracing a culture of giving back.”

He attributes the improved performance to the sustained, positive relationship between the scholars, teachers and Community Scholarship Selection Boards (CSSBs), whereby each student’s performance is reviewed during school holidays.

For the past 10 years, the Wings to Fly program has supported 16,168 students to pursue secondary school education on full scholarships. The success of the program can be tied to the integrity and fidelity in the selection process which is done by the CSSBs that sit in all 47 counties ensuring that only the most deserving students gain scholarships.

With a proven performance track record, Wings to Fly alumni have set high standards motivating those behind them to work towards excellence. So far, 11,928 scholars have sat their national exams with 9,581 managing to secure admission to the university.

The Wings to Fly program is a partnership between Mastercard Foundation and Equity Group, with additional support from partners such as the German Government (through KfW), USAID, DFID, among others.

The 223 Wings to Fly 2019 finalists who scored A and A- are eligible to join the Bank for six to nine months under the Equity Bank Paid Internship Program. During this period, the scholars will secure valuable work ethics, skills where they will be mentored and earn a monthly stipend of Ksh 40,000 to assist them with meeting their basic needs and save for university education.