Learning Outcomes

This case can be used to teach students the entrepreneurial, financial, and strategic challenges involved in establishing and scaling a private education enterprise in a low-income context. Upon completion of the case discussion, learners will be able to analyse the importance of identifying the full cost of service, evaluate how entrepreneurial vision and leadership influence decision-making and assess revenue enhancement strategies that balance enrolment growth, service quality, and operational capacity. Students will also examine how stakeholder feedback informs adaptive and action-oriented decision-making in resource-constrained environments and apply relevant theories to understand how entrepreneurs navigate trade-offs between affordability, educational quality, and financial sustainability.

Case Synopsis

This case explores Goldfields School, a private education institution established in Migori County, Kenya, in 2019 by Elizabeth, a medical officer, and her husband Joseph. Founded to address absence of quality education for their children after relocating from Nairobi, the school operates in a low-income, poverty-prone context. Unexpected strong demand led Goldfields School to expand into a full-service institution offering boarding, student transport, and daily meals, attracting learners from beyond Migori County. However, fees were set to remain affordable and did not fully reflect the cost of these services. With no access to external financing beyond school fees, the institution operated at break-even between 2019 and 2025, despite rising enrolment. The case centres on the founders’ dilemma of balancing affordability and community needs with financial sustainability and long-term growth.

Complexity/ Academic level

This case is appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in business, entrepreneurship, and education management, particularly those enrolled in undergraduate business programmes, MBA, or master’s programmes focused on entrepreneurship, social enterprise, or international business. It is designed for courses in strategy, social entrepreneurship, financial management, and leadership. It is particularly suited to students examining enterprise development in resource-constrained environments and the managerial trade-offs involved in delivering affordable services while maintaining organisational viability.

Supplementary Materials

Teaching notes are available only to educators upon request from the Case Centre at cases@strathmore.edu

Keywords

Strategy, International Business, Social Entrepreneurship, Cooperative Management, Risk Assessment, Financial Analysis, Leadership, Cross-Cultural Management, Supply Chain Management, Agricultural Economics, Food Security Policy.

Citation

Onyango, K. (2026). When Banks Said No: The Rise of Goldfields School. Strathmore Africa Case Center. https://doi.org/10.70268/sacc-02-25-36

Publisher: Strathmore Africa Case Centre

Copyright © 2026, Strathmore Africa Case Centre

Category : Case

Author : Kenneth Onyango

Publisher : Strathmore University

Document ID : SACC-02-25-36