KESCA. Updated November 2026. 5 min read.
Kenyans have a word for what happens when a family or a village needs to raise money for something that matters: harambee, let us all pull together. School fees, a hospital bill, a wedding, a funeral. Most Kenyan families in the U.S. have given to dozens of them. A KESCA seat can be funded the same way, and this page is about how, honestly: what we offer, what we do not, and the fundraising ideas that actually work.
In short: at the time of writing the program fee is $6,900 per participant, with international flights separate. The first tool is the monthly plan, equal payments with no deposit, finishing by May 1, 2027. Partial scholarships and sponsorships exist and are matched in the winter, but we do not publish fixed amounts or a points system, so you ask the program team. Churches, employers, alumni groups and relatives can sponsor a seat or part of one through the sponsor form on the KESCA page, and every sponsored student is matched by name.
Start with the monthly plan
Before you raise a dollar, spread the fee. The plan splits it into equal monthly card payments, the first on the day you book and the rest taken automatically, with the last one by May 1, 2027. There is no deposit, no interest and no fee, and the plan stops by itself after the last payment. The earlier you book, the smaller each payment.
| If you book in | Monthly payments | Each payment |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | Up to 6 | $1,150 |
| December 2026 | Up to 5 | $1,380 |
| January 2027 | Up to 4 | $1,725 |
| February 2027 | Up to 3 | $2,300 |
| March 2027 | 2 | $3,450 |
| April 2027 | Pay in full | $6,900 in one payment |
Six payments of $1,150 is a very different conversation from $6,900 at once. It also gives a fundraising campaign a rhythm: each month's harambee pays that month's installment, and donors can see where their money went.
Partial scholarships: how to ask
Scholarship and sponsorship matching happens in the winter before the program, alongside participant details and guardian consent. Scholarships are partial; we do not publish amounts, deadlines by cohort or scoring criteria, because they depend on the sponsorships we have that year. Use the question form on the KESCA page and choose the right role: a participant, a parent or guardian, or a group leader. Tell us:
- The participant's age and track: high school, college and university, or young professionals
- Why KESCA, in a few sentences from the participant, not the parent
- What the family can pay, and over how many months
- What you have raised or plan to raise yourselves
- Any church, association or employer who might sponsor part of the seat
Ask early. A scholarship can only be matched to a sponsor if we know about the need, and the final payment date does not move for anyone.
Sponsor a student
Sponsorship is how a church, a company, an alumni group or a relative funds a participant directly. A sponsor can cover a whole seat or part of one, and every sponsored student is matched by name, so the sponsor knows who they are sending and the student knows who sent them. The sponsor form is at the bottom of the KESCA page. Companies and churches sending several young people can also start a group link from the itinerary page, so each family books its own place while the group stays together.
Fundraising ideas that work for Kenyan families in the U.S.
| Idea | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| A family harambee | An evening, in person or on a video call, with relatives here and in Kenya. Someone respected opens it, the participant speaks, and pledges are written down | Collect pledges promptly, and thank every giver by name |
| Your church | Ask the pastor about a love offering, a youth fund or a church sponsorship, and offer to report back to the congregation after the trip | Church budgets are set early in the year; ask in the fall |
| Kenyan associations in the U.S. | County, alumni and community welfare associations often support young people's education and heritage trips | Most decide at monthly meetings; bring a one-page summary |
| An online fundraiser | A personal page on a site such as GoFundMe, shared in family WhatsApp groups and on social media | Processing fees come off each gift; read the site's terms |
| Your employer, or a parent's | Community-giving, education or professional development budgets, or a direct sponsorship through the KESCA form | Gift-matching programs usually match only donations to registered charities |
| Events | A nyama choma afternoon, a car wash, a chama-style savings circle among friends, a Kenyan dinner at church | Food sales can need permits; check with the venue |
| The participant's own work | Summer jobs, birthday and graduation money, tutoring or babysitting toward one monthly payment | Start a year out; it adds up |
Be honest with donors
Kenya Experience is a company, not a charity. Money paid toward a KESCA seat, directly or through a sponsor, is a payment for a program, not a tax-deductible donation, and we will not tell anyone otherwise. If a church or nonprofit sponsors a participant out of its own funds, its own rules and its accountant decide how that is recorded. Gifts to a family's personal online fundraiser are personal gifts. Tell your donors exactly what the money pays for: the program fee covers the academy, transport in Kenya, accommodation, meals, park fees and the conference; flights, insurance, the eTA and spending money are extra.
Tell them too what happens if plans change. Our Booking Conditions apply whoever paid: cancel 91 days or more before departure and everything is refunded minus a $250 administration fee and any supplier costs we cannot recover; 61 to 90 days, half the price is charged; 60 days or fewer, all of it. A place can be transferred to another eligible participant before departure for $50 plus any supplier charges, which can keep a sponsor's money working for another student. Travel insurance with cancellation cover can protect what the family has raised.
A timeline for a funded seat
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Now, fall 2026 | Book and start the longest plan available. Ask about a partial scholarship. Approach your church and association before their budgets close |
| Winter | Scholarship and sponsorship matching. Hold the family harambee. Send participant details and guardian consent |
| Spring | The academy begins. Final payments, with the last by May 1, 2027. Book international flights |
| Summer 2027 | Kenya. Afterwards, report back to everyone who gave: a talk at church, photos with consent, the capstone |
That last step matters more than it looks. A sponsor who hears what their student did is far more likely to fund the next one. If you want to bring a whole cohort from your church or association, the ambassador program on the KESCA page is the way to start.
