HOW THE AFYA ELIMU FUND WORKS 2018

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Partners

1. HRH Kenya Mechanism (September 27, 2016 - September 26, 2021) is a USAID funded mechanism implemented by IntraHealth International Inc. IntraHealth has over 30 years experience working with health workers around the world and provides overall strategic direction for the fund that was established by FUNZOKenya project its predecessor.
2. HELB established by an Act of Parliament in 1995 has wide experience in funding higher education in Kenya is the fund manager and also provided seed money. As a fund manager, HELB supports the application process, makes disbursements and monitors the loan through its existing legal structures for accountability, transparency and recovery.
3. Private sector - partners with AEF as contributors and investors to the fund.
4. Ministry of Health (MOH) provides overall policy direction on HRH and also chairs the AEF Oversight Committee. The committee consists of HELB, HRH Kenya, MOH, private sector, medical training institutions and religious organizations. The AEF Oversight Committee in addition to approving the shortlisted AEF loan applicants, also serves as the highest governance structure for the fund, and supports investment and fundraising initiatives to ensure program sustainability. As an umbrella Fund, AEF accepts contributions from counties and private sector partners with a desire to increase the pool of health workers for Kenya in specific health cadres/specialists or regions.

The Flow of Funds to Students and Repayment

Afya Elimu Fund partner contributions, once received in the HELB collections bank accounts are posted into a dedicated AEF ledger account. Students are then invited to apply online through an advertisement in the local dailies. AEF loan application process through HELB Student applications once received are processed and loans for successful applicants are credited to the student account and funds transferred directly to the training institutions. Interest rates are based on the HELB rates (4% for pre‑service and 12% for in‑service trainees) with a one year moratorium period given to pre‑service students which allows them a grace period to secure employment before repayment commences.