SHOFCO

I am a student at Karen C Girls High School, and went to primary school at Green Pastures Primary School. My mother on manaes to do casual jobs to put food on our table, so this scholarship is my only chance to go to high school. I really appreciate and am humbled by this opportunity. At my high school, I am the only student from the urban slums and this was a difficult adjustment. I will work hard to succeed so I can improve my family and community's living standards. I am very thankful for the chance to attend high school.

Antony attended a free-education primary school, which provided him with a uniform and books. His family situation has been incredibly unstable because his father has been suffering from an unidentifiable mental illness and his mother is the only breadwinner of the family. Over the past years, she has been using much of her meager incomes to take his father to the hospital. Antony is a strong student and despite all his obstacles, he hopes to continue working hard in his school work.

Mazden's older brother dropped out of high school. Mazden saw how this lack of education severely limited his brother's prospects, and so he is determined to stay in high school. Once he finishes secondary school, he would like to study in order to become a doctor. Mazden also dreams of giving back to the community and inspiring other young people from the slums to reach for their dreams.

My name is Ismail Yusuf and I attend Hospital Hill High School in Nairobi. I am 15 years old and I attended ST. George's Primary School where I scored 335 marks on the KCPE. While I was in school, I experienced bullying from other students. There were also cases of theft in school. This scholarship program has helped reduce my parents burdens, as right now life is hard and everything is expensive. My family consists of 7 people and providing for such a number is a great challenge, but now that my school fees are covered, they can at least use the little cash they get on food or other house necessities. I now have a coach who is helping me with my soccer talent, and this is what I like to do in my free time.

Clinton is an orphan, whose parents passed away when he was a small child. Since then, he has been raised by his aunt. She has been his primary guardian and she has made sure to pay his school fees. Clinton aspires to become an engineer. His dream project, however, is to start an organization that serves street children and orphans.

My name is Phenny Adhiambo, I joined Moi Girls Academy from Karama Academy after attaining 339 marks on the KCPE. I am 14 years old and working very hard to achieve good grades. My father ran away from us for his second wife and left us with our poor mother, lonely and hungry in the house. We could not manage the school fees but thanks to the SHOFCO scholarship program I am able to attend school. I have had challenges in school as well, as I do not have the basic learning materials. Now that we are at home, we still lack food and can go a whole day without food at all. There is no proper hygiene, no access to clean water especially at this time of the coronavirus. Life is so hard and despite everything, in a family of five, two sisters, brother and a mother, all of us are alive and are in good health.