In today's rapidly evolving world, access to education remains a pivotal factor determining individual success and community development. Thus, communities that face limited access to education tend to be trapped in perpetual poverty and are left behind in the development process. Indeed, Basongora is no exception: poverty is endemic within the community and, consequently, the cost of higher education remains prohibitive. This has kept the majority of the youth in Basongora out of the productive job market, thus relegating most of them to traditional methods of cattle keeping, which in turn has perpetuated poverty, vulnerability and further marginalization.

In light of the above, a few elites together with some elders have in recent years spearheaded a sensitization drive to reawaken community consciousness about access to education as a top priority in the community’s social transformation. Yet, this sensitization effort predictably has not yielded much given the high levels of poverty within the community. Consequently, many talented Basongora students have not achieved their educational aspirations, thereby losing the precious opportunity to eventually break free from the individual and family poverty trap. To address these challenges, we established in 2023 Basongora Education Fund, with the first cohort of seven award beneficiaries being rolled out in 2024. Through this initiative, we aim to provide financial assistance and mentorship to deserving students, and to foster a culture of academic excellence and community service. 

This drive will amplify the community’s needs/issues with a view to their incorporation into the national policy agenda and pull themselves and their families out of the poverty trap and ably partake in the development of their own community.