A fortnight after being crowned the world’s cut flowers growing champion, Oserian Development Company has announced a series of scholarships for best students in the schools it manages while introducing a scheme where priority to work in the farm will be given to former students of the schools.
The new scholarships target students from Oserian Primary, Oserian Secondary and Hilltop Academy which host students of the more than 4600 workers at the farm.
“We have started a programme where the first three children of each school that we run will be fully sponsored through the next phases of their education. The first three students in Class Eight will be sponsored for their entire secondary education and the first three in high school will be sponsored fully in their university education,” said Mary Kinyua, the Director of Human Resources and Administration at Oserian who was speaking at one of the school’s thanksgiving ceremony.
To further create opportunities for the students in the job market, Oserian has announced that it will give priority to students who have passed through its schools to work in the farm.
“We want all the Oserian students to have an opportunity to interview for jobs in the farm. We want them to be at a better chance of getting these jobs and being part of actualizing the Oserian dream,” Ms. Kinyua added.
This new development is the latest in the flower farm’s increased investment in education following the announcement of new computer courses for 1400 students earlier this year meant to deepen IT skills. It has also initiated a Ksh 13 million school feeding programme where pupils enjoy a cup of nutritious porridge for breakfast and a plate of food for lunch.
Late last year, Oserian constructed a new bloc of eight classes to prepare for an envisaged increase in school going children population as the firm’s industrial park takes shape. It is expected that the number of people living in the Oserian village will surge to about 20,000 from the current 11,000 as investors take up space at the business park.
Education is a key pillar of Oserian support programmes under Flowers for Schools tag. The others are Food Security, Health and Nature.
