Class: 8th Grade Graduates of 2017 (Rodi)

Ashlene is a hardworking 13-year-old who came to Achungo in 2016 as a seventh grader. She was living with her parents in their mud hut and was helping them with field work to get enough money  to survive. Sometimes they didn’t even have money for lunch, let alone for her school fees. This forced her to … Continued

After Caroline’s father died in a road accident, the family had no income and she was forced to leave Komito Primary school that she had attended since first grade.  She is from nearby Kochio living with her mother and two siblings in a small thatched-roof hut. She joined us at Achungo in 2015 for sixth grade … Continued

Census and his four younger siblings have lived with his elderly grandmother since the death of both his parents in a road accident.  In 2014 he was introduced to Achungo by the area chief and enrolled in the sixth grade. Census is a bright young man who excels in all his subjects.  He enjoys playing … Continued

Dephy is a serious and highly focused student. She is organized and readily shares her books and supplies with fellow students.   She told us that Achungo Director Michael found her on the street, “crying bitterly after my guardians had to take me out of school because they could no longer pay the fees.  He listened … Continued

Edna (14) has a beautiful voice and often leads the worship singing. She is unassuming and very helpful to her classmates. She is at the top of her class at Achungo. Edna came to Achungo in 2013 entering fifth grade after 4 years at St. Anne’s primary, a public school, where, she says, “we were … Continued

Euvern was orphaned about three years ago when her father was murdered one evening on his way home from his workshop.  “It has been very hard on my mother as she tries to take care of my 5 siblings and find money for food and school fees.”  Their mud hut has a thatched roof that … Continued

Evance (14) came to Achungo this January (2017) from his home near Homa Bay (8 miles away) where he lived with his mother and aunt and two brothers and two sisters.   His father passed away some years ago in a road accident and his mother is unable to work.  They now share a hut with … Continued

Faith has a gentle spirit and curiosity about the world beyond Africa. Although she has had a difficult life, she loves going to school at Achungo, loves to sing and is full of joy, with a ready laugh. Her parents were in a road accident a few years ago that left both severely injured, her father … Continued

In Felix, we have a budding engineer.  He loves reading about new inventions, and studying about all kinds of machines and technologies.  His uncle worked for a Civil engineer before retiring.  He says Kenya lacks enough good engineers. He joined Achungo in 7th grade in 2016 from Nyangweso where he lived with his mother and two … Continued

Godfrey (13) is the top student in the eighth grade and often leads the class, demonstrating Math problems on the blackboard as he carefully walks the class through the solution.  With his height and aptitude, he is a natural leader. He came to Achungo in 2011, joining the second grade class after starting school at … Continued

Ian is very bright and always willing to speak up in class and provide the careful analysis to support positions he takes on any given topic. He came to Achungo in 2013, having grown up in Ojunge village with his mother and 4 brothers.  His father divorced her several years ago and his mother could … Continued

Lavena told us “The best day of my life was when the director brought me to Achungo.  It is safe here and I can learn and achieve my goal of becoming a nurse.”  This fourteen-year-old has been at Achungo for three years and comes from a few miles away where she lived with her parents … Continued

Mary says:  “I pray that God will help me finish my studies and get a good job.  I hope to become a surgeon and help people recover.”  When she was sick in Nairobi, she met a friendly surgeon who obviously made quite an impression on Mary. Mary is from 10 miles away (a several-hour walk, … Continued

Mike (14) never knew his parents, who apparently died in a road accident.  He comes from about two miles away and has lived with his grandmother for as long as he can remember.  “She is very old and I must do much of the housework including cooking and fetching firewood.”  They live in a mud … Continued

Nicole came to Achungo in January 2016 after her parents were no longer able to work.  They all moved in with her grandmother and including her siblings, there are 12 in the household.   Her grandmother is the sole provider but is very elderly.  She sells cups and plates while Nicole and her siblings take fruit … Continued

“The happiest day in my life was when Director Michael paid us a visit and decided I would be accepted into his school,” says Pesiliah. Before Achungo, Pesiliah attended school intermittently.  Her uncle, the provider for her family, died when she was 5 and her parents are very poor, so she often did not have … Continued

Phabish came to Achungo in 2012, joining sixth grade.  He was living in a village about 4 miles away with his parents and three siblings.  His father is a teacher at Achungo (Mr. Erick) but his mother is not working. He immediately noticed the difference in the quality of education from what he’d known.  “Achungo … Continued

Phenny has been at Achungo since 2012, entering in the fourth grade because her guardians could no longer afford school fees. When she was in third grade, her father (a carpenter) and her mother both died of illnesses.  Then with her three younger siblings she moved into the hut with their grandparents in Mathindi (about … Continued

Ramla(14)  is very interested in everything and likes to be helpful to her classmates. Her home is about 10 miles away where she lived with her two younger sisters and her uncle, who cares for them “ because both my parents died from illness.  We live in a grass-thatched hut with a family of six.  … Continued

Robinson (14) came to Achungo at the beginning of 2016. “My parents had heard about Achungo and its very high KCPE scores.”   He grew up a few miles away at Pap-Ndege village.   His father is a farm laborer when he can find work and otherwise burns found wood and sells the charcoal to try to … Continued

Sammy Gift (13) has been with us ever since preschool, coming to Achungo in 2006.  He told us, “We live near Achungo and one day my mother heard about the school and how they love and care for little children, so she brought me to Achungo.  Now I have been here for years and years.   … Continued

Sophia (15) is an outgoing young woman. She loves being at Achungo and is grateful for the opportunity to work hard at school. Her father left for Nairobi 10 years ago to look for work and the family has not seen him since.  She says, “we do not get any support from him at all. … Continued

Stephen joined Achungo in 2013 in fifth grade from St. Terrycam Primary in Asumbi.  When his parents could no longer afford their school fees, he was sent home. He was living with his aunt and his parents and siblings (eight of them in a small mud hut) and it was hard for him to be … Continued

Teddy is very intelligent and works hard in class.  He takes meticulous notes and has excellent penmanship.  He works through complicated Mathematical word problems with ease and confidence. Teddy came to Achungo at the beginning of 2017.  He learned about Achungo because his Uncle, Mr. Benson, is a teacher here.  He was living in Kagan … Continued