Wema Children's Centre and Highway Academy are a private orphanage and school in Western Kenya in an area with some of the highest poverty and HIV/AIDS rates. Kenyans Teresa Wati and Stephen Juma formed Wema to give poor and orphaned children a home and a high quality education. Today at Wema, 510 children are provided with a loving home, three nutritious meals a day, and most importantly, an education at one of the highest performing primary and secondary schools in Kenya.
Leornad's father passed away and he does not know where his mother is. He stays with his unemployed grandmother. He does not have a grandfather. He has one brother and one sister.
School Year 2020
Davis lives with his 8 siblings and unemployed parents. He enjoys math and science and wants to become doctor someday.
School Year 2020
Roffine's father suffers from an undiagnosed mental condition. He disappears at times and then reappears unexpectedly. The family lives on a small piece of land and Her mother works in people's farms. During her primary school days, Roffine was regularly sent home for the small fees that her mother could not afford to pay in time. She is now very comfortable at Wema and she says it feels to her like her home. "I will work extra hard to achieve my goal of being an accountant and help my family." -Rophine.
School Year 2020
Selpa's father is a cane cutter for the sugar factory. Her mother is a house wife. Among her seven siblings four have dropped out because they could not afford the school fees and supplies. During her primary school, Selpa was at home regularly as her parents struggled to raise the small fees demanded by the school. She also lacked stationery and used to do without lunch. Now Selpa's tuition, supplies and food are paid by a scholarship.
School Year 2020
Lilian's father works as a sugarcane cutter. Her older brother is in High School and his school fees are pair by her uncle. The rest of Lilian's siblings are in primary school where her parents struggle to raise the fees required at the school. In Primary school Lilian had attendance problems as she was regularly sent home because she couldn't afford the fees She also regularly ate only one or two meals per day. Now she does not need to worry about being sent home or missing meals. The only thing that is on her mind is working hard so she can achieve the grade required to study medicine and become a doctor. "Wema can uplift the lowly and give them fair education field to make them someday be able to help more of the disadvantaged." -Lilian.
School Year 2020
Martha comes from a large, poor family. Her parents are unemployed and cannot afford school fees for her and her 13 siblings. She loves science and math and needs help to stay in school so that she can pursue her dream of becoming a doctor someday.
School Year 2020