Samuel comes from a family of 6 children, who all stay with their guardians, who are very poor. Their guardians are the ones paying for Samuel and his siblings' school fees, but Samuel is uncertain that this will continue due to many hardships and struggles the family must undergo. At times, Samuel and his family must go to sleep hungry. Samuel is a polite student who takes education seriously and he hopes to achieve his dream of becoming a soldier.

Apollo is the sixth born in a family of seven and grew up in the countryside. Since his father passed away in 1998, Apollo has been the sole provider for his family which has made his life very difficult. One of Apollo's brothers is a welder, the other is a cobbler. Despite good grades, his sisters did not have the opportunity to attend high school. In 2004, Apollo moved to Nairobi, where he was taken in by his brother, to pursue a better education. He enrolled in Kibera Primary School where he topped in the KCPE Exams scoring an impressive 398 marks. Despite the many hardships Apollo has and does endure, he earned the class' highest score last year.

Alex lives with his mother, a Volunteer Community Health Worker for AMREF, who supported him throughout primary school. He is her only child. Alex's father has always been absent from his life. During his final year of primary school, Alex, unable to pay for his fees, books, and food, was often sent home. Sometimes, he says, his and his mother's electricity was cut off.

Erick is the fourth born in a family of seven. His father is deceased, leaving his mother as the sole breadwinner. She sells vegetables and washes people's clothes in nearby wealthy neighbourhoods to make ends meet. Her income is unstable. Mostly, Erick's mother depends on well-wishers to support her five children in school, two in high school and another three in primary school.

Emmaculate lives with her mother and older brother in Kibera. The mother works for ASK- Agricultural Services Kenya, so the family lives on the Showground premises. Emmaculate has three older brothers. The first born studied biochemistry at Moi University, but now lives "upcountry" because he's mentally ill. Emmaculate's father was laid off from Kenya Railways and has been living upcountry since 1999. Her mother works to support Emmaculate's father, all four children and Emmaculate's young cousin who is in primary school.