Lang'ata Member of Parliament Phelix Odiwour, famously known as Jalang'o, raised Ksh6 million in one hour on Wednesday, June 28, to facilitate a student's travel outside the country.
Speaking during a fundraising ceremony in Lang'ata, the lawmaker stated the student had secured an opportunity to advance his education abroad.
The learner was, however, in financial distress forcing Jalang'o to rally his friends and other local administrators to hold a fundraiser for his ravel.
"The young man is travelling out of the country and he requires a lot of money. So to help him to go study abroad, I will start by giving him Ksh200,000 to use as upkeep money," the first time MP stated.
Jalang'o was supported by other local administrators from his constituency who contributed between Ksh10,000 to Ksh50,000. Former Kenya Football Federation President Sam Nyamweya sent Ksh100,000 to help the student travel abroad.
Jalang'o also liaised with friends who chipped in with Ksh500,000, much to the delight of the student, who had been forced to halt his education to work at a local firm.
Before organising the fundraiser, the Lang'ata MP stated that the student's family had only raised Ksh695,000. However, he indicated that the money was insufficient to help the engineering student keep his dreams alive, which compelled him to intervene.
After raising funds, Jalang'o vowed to continue supporting other students from his constituency to advance their education. He also promised to use bursaries to help vulnerable people within Lang'ata constituency.
He also pledged to use National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) to support students in his constituency.
His sentiments aligned with Governor Johnson Sakaja's resolution to increase student capitation through bursaries and CDF funds.
Besides bursaries, Sakaja has also been offering scholarships to various struggling students.
“The Bursary Program aims to uplift the lives of those students who are in need of financial support in Nairobi, giving hope to the hopeless and supporting the dreams of the future generation in our beloved County.” Sakaja stated after awarding scholarships to 500,000 students.
