Brief History

The LOGOS Scholarship Fund is a social justice initiative of the Nairobi Chapel. The fund began in 2007 in response to a need faced by students who had been displaced due to the post-election violence of 2007/2008. The violence, which rocked several parts of Kenya, including the capital Nairobi, left

many families displaced and living in internally displaced camps (IDPs). Among this population were students about to sit their national examinations who had their future suddenly obscured and now living in the worst conditions possible to enable learning.

The Nairobi Chapel, which is nestled between high-brow and low income density areas responded to the needs of those in the camps in Kibera and neighbouring Ngando and Kawangware, all informal settlements. It would later partner with other affected areas around the country through an inter-church initiative called Msafara – Wheels of Hope. We singled out the immediate needs of the students, housed them in half-way homes and gave them hope in the midst of a challenging environment.

As they moved to High School, with many of their parents still in the camps, the challenge was how they would continue to pay their fees. We knew the work had just begun. These were our very first LOGOS Scholars, then known as the Jubilee Scholarship Fund. We have since sponsored over 500 students in various high schools, universities and colleges in 40 counties in Kenya.

The LOGOS scholarship covers a period of 10 years for every child as we aim to walk with them through High School and University towards self-sufficiency. The fund goes beyond concentrating on the student’s academic performance alone and focuses on mentorship and character formation, empowering both beneficiaries and their families to be agents of change in their communities. We are educating for life, and eternity.

Objectives of Logos Scholarship Fund

The LOGOS Scholarship Fund is designed to “Educate for life and Eternity”. It hopes to break the vicious cycle of poverty through Transformational Education. This is achieved through the following :

  1. Discipleship: The program intentionally points scholars to Godly values and enables them develop in their relationship with God.
  2. Mentorship: Each scholar is assigned a mentor to walk with them through their time in the program. The scholars meet for a day with their mentors on day we call the Scholars Day, which happens during the school holidays of April and August. At the end of the year we hold a five-day camp where they interact with the Logos staff team, counsellors and mentors to equip them spiritually and impact them with life skills.
  3. Wholistic Approach: The program has adopted an approach that endeavours to address the four spheres of life (spiritual; mental, social-emotional and physical) in a balanced and wholistic way
  4. Logos Discipleship Bible School (LDBS): In the gap year after completing high school, scholars undergo a two months residential Bible school (LDBS) which prepares them for college life through intentional discipleship; practical life skills and inspirational experienced focused towards character formation. The scholars also undergo a job shadow experience towards orientation to their respective careers.

Mentorship

Each of our students is assigned a mentor who walks with the students over the time they are with us. The mentors are volunteers from Nairobi Chapel and we assign them based on gender and sometimes career preferences. Our desire for mentoring is to see the students:

  • Become Spiritually Mature –Able to articulate and commit to Christian values
  • Grow into disciplers and mentors
  • Discover and appreciate their talents and use them to improve their lives, that of their family and the communities around them.
  • Make good and informed career choices

The areas of focus in the mentoring program are centered around SPARC:

i) Spiritual Wisdom

The scholars are evangelised in the knowledge of God, His word and His purposes. Helping scholars develop spiritual habits that ensure they grow spiritually over time. Teaching them how to develop an intimate and personal relationship with God and understand His word through: giving them a Bible; following a Bible reading plan; providing discipleship curriculum; teaching them to pray, memorize scripture and share their faith.

ii) Physical and Psychological Maturity

a) The development and cultivation of attitudes and practices that promote self-care, good nutrition, safe hygiene, exercise and avoidance of high risk behaviour and situations.
b) Self-Management: keeping emotions under control; being transparent; being flexible; drive for performance; initiative to seize opportunities; being optimistic.

c) Self-Awareness: Understanding your own emotions and their impact; knowing your strengths and weaknesses; and a sound sense of self-worth

iii) Academic Excellence

Motivating academic excellence through: Setting realistic academic goals and expectations of themselves; developing good study habits; sending termly reports to sponsors

iv) Relational Intelligence

Training on developing quality relationship skills such as: effective communication, interacting well with others.
Social – Awareness: Sensing others’ emotions and understanding their perspective. Awareness of creation, making biblically based decisions and resilience

v) Community Impact:

The scholars acquire knowledge and enhance skills to enable economic self-sufficiency. Discipling the scholars in a way that motivates them to evangelize and spiritually nurture others as they apply their knowledge towards making helpful changes in their communities.

a) A Holistic Approach

The program has adopted a holistic approach to address the four spheres of life (spiritual, mental, socio-emotional and physical) in a balanced and holistic way.

b) Parents

The program empowers and enables parents to remain the primary caregivers and the family remains the primary support structure for each scholar. It seeks to work alongside the parents in their upbringing.

c) Logos Discipleship Bible School (LDBS)

In the gap year after completing high school, the scholars undergo a 3 months residential Bible School, which prepares them for college life through directed coaching, practical skills and inspirational experiences focused towards character formation. After which the scholars also undergo a job shadow experience towards orientation to their respective desired careers.