IEFT / Orkeeswa School

Melubo resides in Lashaine Village with his large family. His father works as a security guard and his family has a small farm that grows maize and beans. His father is also a the chair of Orkeeswa School's parents' committee. After school he hopes to teach history and English, two of his favorite subjects, to secondary school students. When he's not studying, Melubo enjoys playing basketball.

Veronica’s father has mental health problems and is mostly absent in the lives of his two wives and eleven children. Since her mother moved far away for work, Veronica and her other siblings live with their father’s second wife who supports the children by collecting and selling firewood in Monduli. However, she struggles to pay for expenses such as school fees. Veronica hopes to be able to finish secondary school and set a good example for her younger brother, who has just started at Orkeeswa in Pre-Form One.

Sechota has lived in Monduli Town with her grandmother and grandfather since her parents died many years ago. Her grandparents support her and her 5 other siblings on their subsistence farm. However, because they are quite old and have little money, they struggle to contribute to their grandchildren’s education. Sechota’s older sister finished secondary school and is now studying computer science at a certificate program. Sechota hopes to be able to also succeed in secondary school so that she can send her younger siblings to primary school.

Sereti’s parents are both subsistence farmers — cultivating crops and raising livestock. Sereti helps her family on their farm during the weekend. Her father has three wives and many children. Sereti is the youngest of five, having one brother and three sisters. None of Sereti’s other siblings were given the opportunity to go to secondary school. Instead, they were all married immediately after finishing primary school. Sereti hopes to be able to contribute to her family and make them proud by becoming the first in her family to complete secondary school.

Al-Mukhusin is a bright student who shows initiative. He lets his personality shine in the classroom and in drama. Math is his favorite subject, and he hopes to study to become a doctor in the future. Al-Mukhusin is the second oldest of his family, and his older brother attends secondary school elsewhere. His father is an entrepreneur in Monduli, and his mother tends sheep. He looks up to his older brother for direction in his education and values his support and encouragement. Al-MukhusinÕs family is supportive of his education, but is not able to provide for his school fees.

Shy but energetic, Naleku is determined to continue her studies. As a child, she rolled into a fire while napping and suffered from burns on her face. But, despite this incident, Naleku radiates positive energy and interacts confidently with her peers, both in the classroom and on the sports fields. Before passing away several years ago, Naleku’s father had six wives and many children. Naleku will be the first of her mother’s children to attend secondary school as her mother was unable to afford school fees for Naleku’s older brothers