SHOFCO

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.

Deborah Nyaboke Nyakwara of Sironga Girls High School in Kisii, I am 14 years old and I am from the Kibera slum in Nairobi. My parents were unable to get the school fees and through the acces of the SHOFCO Scholarship program I managed to join the school. Still I could not get the boarding essentials and took too long at home waiting for my parents to purchase them. During this pandemic we are at home and the truth is that life is harder here than in school. Most times we go to bed without eating anything. We are also restricted in movement and my parents keep us indoors. We also lack facilitators who can help us as teenagers and encourage us to study than we used to be taught in school. I thank you for your support that reduces the burden on my parents.

I am Glory Akinyi. I am 14 years old and I go to school at at Our Lady of Mercy Girls School in Kiambu county. I scored 313 on the KCPE from St. Charles Lwanga Primary. I am able to attend school because of the scholarship program from SHOFCO. My parents are casual workers and have been affected by this pandemic, I also have a brother who is in high school and this would have been extremely hard for my parents. This program reduced their burden and at least both of us are in school now. There is peer pressure outside here since all students and pupils are at home. Studying is really hard since there is noise everywhere and loud music from neighbouring houses, but we study at least to keep track of good grades. I thank you for this program and pray that it extends its wings to other needy bright students.

My name is Nzoka Annastacia Wayua and I am 15 yrs old, I went to school at Seedlings primary school and got 364 marks. We became hopeless after scoring good marks since my parents did not have the school fees, they had to seek for help from SHOFCO where I received a scholarship and joined Queen Of Peace Nembu Secondary School. I have always been motivated by this scholarship and I kept working very hard to get good grades. My family consist of four people, I have a brother and jobless parents. Life is hard as we cannot be fed properly since my parents do not have school fees. I want to be a doctor in future to help my parents, my brother and my community.

I am Ishra Shaban, a 15 year old student at Upper High School Nairobi. I attended Tenderlings Primary where I scored 388 marks on the KCPE. I really had hard times when I was joining high school and I was even sent back, it was by grace that this scholarship came my way. I really appreciate the support and worked hard to achieve good grades. I have had challenges studying at home too, I do not have any revision material even though I borrow from friends. I study very hard and am sure I will achieve my dream grades and marks. Both my mother, brother and I live in my uncle's house, we do not have any house or home. I haven't seen my father for years and even lost hope of seeing him again. We have suffered, but I thank God since due to this program I am in school.

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.