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More About Kianda Foundation
The Full Story
Kianda Foundation was started in 1961 at a time when racial segregation was the norm, with a clear mission to ensure that women in Kenya have equal access to opportunities for education. They wanted to give women a chance at a dignified life. In the 60's most African women did not even have an opportunity to complete primary school with chances of joining secondary school few. Moreover, it was unheard of to start or run an interracial college.
From very humble beginnings, in a one storey building with just a few rooms at Kianda, the college grew to have over 7,000 alumni from 43 nationalities working in various industries in Kenya and around the world. In its 30 years the College trained secretaries who quickly filled the secretarial positions in government and private offices of post-Independence Kenya, effectively positively affecting the development of the country. The college offered a new and positive outlook in the lives of Kenyan girls setting the scene for them to further their careers and be counted among the most prominent women in the country.
Kianda College merged with Strathmore College in 1993, at that time a post-secondary institution of higher learning, and it later became Strathmore University.
Kianda Secretarial College was determined to offer opportunities for further education to Kenyans becoming the first multiracial college in Kenya. At the dawn of independence many white families opted to move back to their homelands, creating a skills flight. Many corporate entities and government bodies were in need of a skilled workforce. Many international and local companies supported the girl’s training through bursary/ sponsorship programs which covered tuition, boarding, pocket money and books. The trainees who opted for sponsorship were then bonded to the sponsoring companies for work.
