Cadeth lives with his father, his father’s two wives and their many children. Cadeth is the oldest of his immediate siblings, and the first in his family to attend secondary school. Cadeth’s parents are farmers and support their families with their small subsistence farm and a few animals. Cadeth’s father also takes small jobs for extra money, such as driving a taxi motorbike.

Padre excelled in primary school and was ranked number four in his class. However, with six children to take care of, his family struggles to make ends meet. There are very few resources at home and they often do not have enough food to feed their children. Since none of Padre’s older siblings had the opportunity to go to secondary school, he hopes to be the first in his family to graduate so that he can give back to his family and his community.

Fedelis is the last-born child in a family of three. He first sat for his primary education exam in 2018 and passed very well. His father could not afford to take him to secondary school and therefore he decided to repeat grade eight with the hope of getting a scholarship to pursue his goal. Fedelis attributes his success to his discipline and cooperation with teachers. He remains focused to achieve his goal of becoming an engineer in future to help his community. He believes that hard work never goes unrewarded.

Quiet and curious, Paulina enjoys exploring her interests in geography and english class with a steadfast determination. As the oldest in her family, Paulina serves as a stellar example to her younger siblings. She can often be found studying with her friends, and she hopes to become a member of parliament and help build more durable homes in her community after graduation.

Daniel is a very determined boy. While in primary school Daniel did not have a reading lamp. He had to utilize much of his daytime by forgoing break and recess time to catch up on his studies. He was able to overcome and emerge the best in the class. Daniel believes that education is the only key to his success. He is the first-born child in a family of three. His father is a wood carver whose small earnings have been depleted by hospital bills of ailing members of his extended family.

Alex is the second born child in a family of five. His eldest sister dropped out of school due to lack of money for school fees. Alex used to finish his household chores before sunset to utilize the light of the day to finish his homework since he lacked an oil lamp. His room for studying was the kitchen and in many times he would light a fire to complete his assignments. Although he didn't always have money to pay for the primary school fees his teacher knew he was bright and allowed Alex to remain in school. All these challenges did not pull Alex down but he worked hard and emerged the best in his school for KCPEE results.

Wambua is a very hard-working boy. In his school he emerged to be one of the top students. During his primary education Wambua remained focused despite the many challenges he went through. He is grateful to his teacher who exempted him from paying school levies and remained in school. His mother is single and only does casual jobs to cater for the family. Wambua is determined to become a doctor in future. He believes that hard work never goes unrewarded.

Joseph is the second born child in a family of five. His elder brother dropped out of school due to lack of school fees. Since the passing on of his father, Joseph and his siblings have been staying with their mother who has taken over the responsibility of providing for her children. Though determined to make sure that her sons get the best, her health condition has affected her and can rarely manage to do manual work. After the death of their father, the extended family drove them out of their ancestral land. The family is currently living in a rented house in Wamunyu. Joseph is determined to change their family in future. He believes that hard work pays and in future he dreams of becoming a doctor, first to treat his mother and then other people in the society.Ê