How It All Started
In 2003 Rick and Nicole Goodfellow were on a safari adventure in Kenya that turned into a love affair with the school kids at Olympic Primary School in the Kibera slum of Nairobi. With 3500 kids attending the school and a never-ending list of building and maintenance issues affecting the classrooms, they needed a robust fundraising engine to extend their capacity for making change – hence the launch of The Rick Goodfellow Charity Invitational held every year in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 2011, they created The Goodfellow Scholarship Program. After all, the completion of primary education should be the beginning of the journey for change in the Olympic kids’ lives – not the end result. Sadly, for many of them, the dream of a secondary education comes at a price that is out of their family’s reach. The new scholarship program funded by individual sponsors grew from 4 to 40 students in 4 years and continues to grow, providing education and hope to more and more students each year.
In 2014, Nicole bought 8 computers for the benefit of the scholarship students. They are set up on the campus of the Olympic Primary School and provide the students with free access to Internet and a quiet room to study after school and on weekends.
How The Program Works
In December, the scholarship selection committee meets to decide which Olympic Primary School students are eligible for one of the Goodfellow Scholarships available that year. Selection is based on academic merit and the personal situation of the student (ie. family income, orphaned, number of siblings, commitment to school, etc.). Sponsors may indicate their preference for a girl or a boy and they are matched up with a student in early January when the school year begins.
While secondary education is a four-year program in Kenya, the sponsorship of a scholarship is renewed on a yearly basis. If, at any time, you wish to terminate your sponsorship before the end of the four-year program, you may do so. We will find a new sponsor for the student.
Each new scholarship student opens an email account in order to exchange communications from time to time with their sponsor.
The school year is built around 3 terms. At the end of each term, sponsors receive their student’s report card. When Rick and Nicole visit the scholarship students every year, they take lots of pictures that are shared with the respective sponsors.
At the end of every school year in November, all the scholarship students are given the opportunity to attend camp for one week outside of the slums. The cost of this initiative is covered by the funds raised at the RGI golf tournament. Needless to say, this privilege is cherished by the scholarship students who get exposed to a variety of sports, arts, life skill seminars, community leaders while meeting hundreds of other students from around Nairobi. Going to camp has had a profound impact on many of the Goodfellow Scholarship students – a priceless experience in self-discovery.
How many students are able to attend high school thanks to the Goodfellow Scholarship Program?
2011 – 4 boys sponsored when the program was launched
2012 – 17 students enrolled on scholarships: 4 girls / 13 boys
2013 – 29 students sponsored: 13 girls / 16 boys
2014 – 35 students sponsored: 17 girls / 18 boys
2015 – 43 students sponsored: 26 girls / 17 boys
2016 – 37 students sponsored: 24 girls / 13 boys
2017 – 38 students sponsored: 28 girls / 10 boys
2018 – 37 students sponsored: 24 girls / 13 boys
What Does It Cost To Sponsor A Student's Education Dream?
$440 is all it takes to change a child's life for 365 days.
What A Scholarship Provides
- Tuition fees for 1 year;
- A full uniform + a pair of shoes;
- Basic school supplies + paper;
- A daily wholesome lunch served at school – for most, their only meal of the day;
- Access to running water and toilets while on the school campus;
- A safe haven away from rampant violence in the slum;
- Access to FREE computer and internet time
Why Become A Scholarship Sponsor?
- Public primary education is free in Kenya, secondary education is NOT.
- The average family income in Kibera ranges between $250-500 per year.
- There is no running water, no sewage, no sanitation, no toilets, no electricity in most of the Kibera shacks where the students live.
- 1 million Kibera slum dwellers live in an area of 2.5 square kilometers and 75% of the population is under the age of 18.
- There are NO OVERHEAD COSTS built into the scholarship. 100% goes to your student.