John's father died in 2011. at the time of his death, his father had been diagnosed with throat cancer and also kidney failure. HIs mother is a sells vegetables and it is this small business that supports the family of 10. He has 1 brother,younger and 8 sisters, all older. The eldest sister is studying accounts at a nearby college while the second born is married and dropped out of high school. Three of his sisters are in high school where the fees are paid for by well wishers and relatives. his younger brother is still in primary school. He had problems paying small fees required in primary school for lunch and exams. Before he came to Wema, John had to walk long distances to and from school and rarely had two meals a day. He is glad to be in boarding school, he no longer has to walk to and from school and he is guaranteed of three meals a day. " i would like to thank Wema for giving me the opportunity of an education without challenges that pull me down" -John.

Father died, mother is jobless not able to sustain their basic needs.

Both of Lavender’s parents passed away so she lives with her grandmother. Unfortunately, her grandmother is poor and cannot afford to pay for her food or school fees. Lavender loves to read and needs help pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher.

Jane is the first born child in a family of three. Her father deserted the family leaving the children under the care of their mother who works as a house help. Jane completed grade eight in 2016 and scored high marks. Her mother could not afford to take her to secondary school and instead wanted her to be employed as a house help. Jane defied her mother and with the help of her local pastor went back to school and repeated grade 8. In 2017 she emerged the best girl in her school and was admitted to a national school. Despite the many challenges, Jane is determined to excel in her studies. Her dream to become a surgeon remains her driving force. She hopes to help the less fortunate in the society who cannot afford medical care. Jane believes that hard work pays.

Am the second born in the family of three. My elder sister is in secondary school and the third born is class five. Mother is a housewife and my father is working in a security firm. I am hard working in class and generally my academic performance is above the average with an aim of competing with other students. My dream of becoming an air craft engineer always motivates me in everything that I want to do.However, the situation sometimes gets harder when it come to paying my school fees since my father's income is too little. I believe there is no permanent poverty unless you don't want to overcome the poverty state. My life was like a mountain range with its highs and its lows, but like any mountain I walked past the lows with struggle but I still made it. With my mother and father working too hard I took upon myself to protect my sister from all the bad men who would take advantage of her. Between chores and keeping my sister safe I was very busy. I thank SUN for this chance to improve my life.

Ivonne lives alone with her grandmother, who is very poor. They do not know what happened to her mother. Ivonne loves social and religious studies and hopes to become a judge someday.

After Brenda's family was abandoned by their father, she and her four siblings were raised by their working mother. She became pregnant at the young age of 16, and eventually gave birth to a stillborn child. She had a very difficult delivery and required surgery. She was fortunate to find a clinic in Eldoret that provided the surgery she needed to heal. During her recovery, she dreamed of returning to school to study her favorite subject, English, and become a teacher. She is now a studious member of Class 7 at St. Joan's Academy, and is on track to graduate in 2020.

Lesly lives with her mother, who has no regular work. She has two younger sisters. In her free time, Lesly likes reading and listening to music. Her ambition is to become a cardiologist.

Poor and separated family. Mother living with children with no source of income