Egerton University together with the University of Eldoret, hosted a Joint Orientation for the 2025 cohort of TAGDev 2.0 scholarship beneficiaries. The three-day program, held from September 12–14, 2025, at the CoELIB Centre, Egerton University, brought together 64 first-year students alongside university leadership, facilitators, and alumni.
The orientation was designed as a structured onboarding program to prepare students for academic success while instilling values of entrepreneurship, leadership, and community service. Over the three days, students were introduced to key sessions covering personal mastery, psychosocial support, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, community engagement, and the pursuit of excellence.
Session on Personal Mastery, Self-Awareness, and Goal Setting, challenged students to define their vision and set achievable goals using frameworks such as SMART and WIDER. Facilitators emphasized that clarity of purpose, discipline, and reflection are essential for academic and personal growth.The students were also taken through Psychosocial Support and Student Welfare, where learners were introduced to university structures that ensure holistic wellbeing, including counseling, peer mentorship, chaplaincy, and student welfare services. The sessions underscored that success at university requires not only academic effort but also resilience, mental health, and positive relationships.
On Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship, the students who were very determined to build enterprises alongside their studies were taken through practical skills such as budgeting, saving, responsible borrowing, and investment. They were also encouraged to link their research to entrepreneurship opportunities, highlighting the role of financial discipline in enterprise development and long-term stability.
In a lively Alumni Entrepreneurs Panel, past TAGDev beneficiaries shared their journeys of turning academic research into thriving businesses. Examples included Nakuru Tuber, a seed potato enterprise; Comrade Dairy, a milk processing company; and livestock nutrition ventures. Alumni spoke candidly about resilience, adaptation, and servant leadership, inspiring the new cohort to embrace challenges as stepping stones to success.
The orientation further emphasized Community Engagement and Youth Leadership, urging students to view higher education as a responsibility to serve society. Through discussions on servant leadership, participants were reminded that true leadership is about empathy, empowerment, and vision. Students were challenged to commit to at least one form of community service during the semester, reinforcing the link between education and impact.
Closing the program, the session on the Pursuit of Excellence encouraged students to strive for recognition on the Vice Chancellor’s and Dean’s Lists of Honor while upholding academic integrity. They were reminded to maintain a growth mindset, balance academics with wellbeing, and adopt consistent study routines. The Vice Chancellor’s recognition was highlighted as both an achievement and a motivation for continued excellence.
Student representatives expressed gratitude to Mastercard Foundation, RUFORUM, and the TAGDev program for providing access to quality education with the TAGDev Program coordinators describing the orientation as “priming seed,” preparing students for growth, productivity, and transformation.
The event reaffirmed the vision of TAGDev 2.0 to nurture graduates who are not only academically competent but also entrepreneurial, socially responsive, and committed to addressing Africa’s development challenges.
Written By:
Ian Kamau.
Communication Intern, TAGDev 2.0 Program, Egerton University.