I grew up in the hands of a single mother. We went through several challenges together but we have always managed. In 2014, we faced the most challenging part of the year. My mother was bedridden and I had to take care of her at the same time I had to prepare for the end year national examination. We mostly had to depend on the philanthropy of neighbors and a few relatives to survive. I have embraced this as part of life. I will not let it dim my spirit. The School Fund has extended an olive branch to me. A chance to redefine my life and come out of this mire.

I am the only child of a single mother. She works as a casual laborer and this helps in putting food on our table. Secondary education in Kenya is very expensive and this would require extra source of income which is not available at the moment. We live in the slums of Kibera. This is the largest slum in Kenya and poverty rate is very high. I work hard in school with one ultimate goal, to break the cycle of poverty. They say education is the best way and I believe in this philosophy.

My parents died when we were so young. My aunt took us in and she has been taking care of us since. She has a big family, plus she is a single mother. Her fish business can only cater for our meals. We have always depended on well-wishers for our education. I would want to improve the life of my family, especially my aunt's. She has done to us what no other person was willing to do. I am proud of her. The School Fund in partnership with Kenya Education Fund have given me a chance to reciprocate this kind gesture.

Alexander is the lastborn child in a family of four. All his elder siblings have all dropped out of school in primary level due to lack of school fees. His mother is single and unemployed. She has been ailing and can rarely manage to do manual work to cater for her children. Despite all odds alexander managed to perform very well in his primary level education. He is determined to achieve his goal of becoming a doctor in future. As a doctor, he believes that he will help the poor in the society access medical services. Alexander believes that education is the key to success.

Nzioka is the lastborn child in a family of six. His parents are aged and only depend on subsistence farming to bring up their family. Although Nzioka faced a myriad of challenges in school, including being send home for school levies, he emerged the best student in his school. He aspires to be a doctor in future in order to help the less fortunate students in the society who suffer from various ailments so that they can study comfortably. Nzioka believes that working hard and believing in God makes everything possible.

I come from a family of four, my two siblings, my mother and I. My father left for the countryside after he separated from my mother. This separation left us under the care of my mother. My mother is a hardworking woman and she has inspired me a lot. I owe everything I have achieved in this young life to her. She is my biggest source of hope. I joined the football team in school and I hope to help my school achieve its highest feat. I work hard in everything I do and I go for the most challenging of experiences to gain more exposure. My philosophy in life is to always strive for the highest attainable glory.

Kwaila is the first-born child in a family of four. His parents separated and the children lives with their father. His family does not own any land and therefore they stay in a one-roomed rented house in the local market. Christopher is a very ambitious boy who wants to be a pilot. He has great fascination for airplanes and has always wondered how they can fly in the sky without falling. He wants to study hard and understand the science of aeronautics. Christopher is also an outgoing boy with good leadership skills. At primary school, he was elected as the president of the student council. As a president, he started inter-class games competitions and this has made their school to shine in games competitions. He has led other students in doing community service work including repairing the road that connects their school and the market. Christopher believes that Education is the best weapon to fight poverty.

I am the last born of six children. We used to do well some time back. This suddenly changed when my mother and older sister lost their jobs, thanks to a sudden sickness that struck both of them at the same time. It was so harsh. My older brother was left with a huge burden of taking care of us. Given his level of education, he is not able to secure meaningful employment. Things have been rough since. One of the major concerns for me is my education. It is one the things I hold so dearly. I want the best for my family and this can only come with someone effecting a change and I believe that person might as well be me. The opportunity to join high school is a big step towards making this dream a reality.