March 19, 2024

Give us Employment, Ganze Graduands Tell TSC

Ganze Constituency Development Fund sponsored students during a graduation ceremony at Shanzu Teachers Training College. Image Raymond Mwakwaya

BY MWAKWAYA RAYMOND

Ganze Constituency Development Fund wants the government to give first priority to its sponsored students from teacher training colleges when it comes to employment opportunities through Teachers Service Commission.

According to CDF secretary Philister Sauti, this will justify the use of over Sh14 million they have used to sponsor 100 students at Shanzu Teachers College.

Ganze CDF Secretary Philister Sauti flanked by the students at Shanzu Teachers College. Image; Raymond Mwakwaya.

Speaking during the graduation of the college on Thursday, Ms Sauti said it was imperative for the government to reciprocate in kind their gesture to change the fortunes of Ganze residents.

“It will be painful and pointless to see our children roaming about without jobs after spending such huge sums of money to train them in colleges,” she says.

The secretary wants the government to introduce an affirmative action for the marginalized areas such as Ganze when it comes to employment of teachers.

She says this way the government will be able to fight the prevailing poverty levels in marginalized areas in the country.

“Ganze is the poorest area according to the government statistics and it is prudent it is given the first priority in the teaching profession,” she adds.

HUMBLE BACKGROUNDS

Most of those who graduated from Shanzu are from humble backgrounds and lack the capacity to fend for themselves in terms of searching for employments thus the need for assistance.

Kache Kombe, who comes from Nzovuni Mwakwala Sub-location in Bamba Ward explains that she had been in the cold since 2014 until 2017 when she got the sponsorship from CDF to train in the teaching profession.

Her colleague, Judith Kivuno Kadzo, from Mikamini Sub-location had been vegetating at home since 2010 until the CDF came to her rescue to pursue her teaching course at the training college.

“Due to financial circumstances I was forced to stay at home doing nothing but I’m grateful to CDF for facilitating my passage through college,” she says emotionally.

The same story is shared by Anscilla Luwali from Shangweni in Sokoke Ward who had been married off before receiving the CDF sponsorship.

“Though married to CDF secretary’s uncle, I could not lose the opportunity given by the CDF to train as a teacher and this graduation is the outcome of that,” she says while hugging Ms Sauti happily.

On Thursday, 40 students from Ganze Constituency were among graduands that were conferred with Primary 1 Teachers Certificate while another lot is set to graduate next year courtesy of Ganze NG-CDF kit.

One of the families of the sponsored students flanked by Ganze CDF Secretary Philister Sauti. Image; Raymond Mwakwaya

BENEFICIARIES

Most of the beneficiaries went through a rigorous interview and vetting process to ascertain their situational analysis before being awarded the scholarships.

According to Ms Sauti the CDF team visited the homes of beneficiaries to take them through a series of questions for purposes of getting first-hand information before allocating funds.

Ganze and Kilifi County at large is faced with challenges of massive school dropout rates due to early pregnancies associated with ‘disco matanga’ and prevailing poverty levels among communities.

Although the graduands exuded confidence for the teaching task, most of them remained noncommittal whether they are ready to render services in the North-Eastern frontier which recently faced massive exodus of non-indigenous teachers.

The government allows NG-CDF to utilize 35 per cent of its allocation on bursary for secondary, college/tertiary and university education.

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