Agnes Lillian lives with her cousin about 20 minutes’ walk from school and was brought to Achungo in 2014, entering 3rd grade. She has a brother in high school and a younger brother (3) and sister (7). Her parents died in a traffic accident on their way to Nairobi when she was little. She says coming to Achungo was the best thing to ever happen to her.
Her earlier schooling was at Rodi Midland Academy, a public school. She says the teachers often didn’t bother to show up for class and “everything is better at Achungo” – “the education is better and [extra-curricular] activities are better,” including music and athletic competitions. She is very happy to be here where there is more opportunity to succeed. She now lives in the dorm and says that the dorm Matron is very understanding – that it feels now like she has a mother!
Agnes’ favorite subjects are English and Swahili. She tries to be a good student and her goal is a KCPE score of 380. She wants everyone to know that she is “so happy and hopes to go to the U.S. someday and be a black American. I know that my goals will work”.
Agnes wants to become a musician and likes Rihanna and Beyonce. “I play music – it can make me to be popular and in future I will earn a lot of money. I practice with neighbor friends after school.” She also told us that she wants to be a road engineer and “help make the nation better.”