Education remains the most effective tool for addressing poverty and ensuring gender equity. Illiteracy heightens the chances of an individual being trapped in a cycle of poverty with limited opportunities for employment. Despite efforts made by the government to support education, inequality remains a challenge in accessing education in Kenya. An assessment of equity in school dropouts among 16 to 17 year old children in Kenya reveals gender disparity with 12.8% of boys compared to 19.4% of girls having not attained primary level education. Majority of the students dropping out from school are from poor families.

Co-operative Bank Foundation has remained committed to enhancing access to education in Kenya. The main focus of our Education Scholarship Program is decreasing regional disparity in school enrollment, promoting gender equity in access to education and alleviating poverty in Kenya. We support close to 700 new students from poor family backgrounds every year to access secondary school and university education. Over 4,825 students have benefited from the program since inception.