Cedrick’s parents died in a road accident when he was two and thereafter he has lived with his aunt. He told us, “The pain when I think of my parents is very hurtful. My aunt has a small garden with maize and beans for food for the family but the soil is poor and it produces low yields. She buys vegetables in the market to resell in a booth near our home to earn money but it really has a low income.” Cedrick, 15, also has two cousins at home.
Cedrick had been attending a local public school but often did not have money to pay the fees for the exams. The public schools are supposedly tuition-free but charge for each exam, thus excluding the poorest students from advancement. When they heard about Achungo, with no other way for Cedrick to complete his schooling, his guardian (aunt) enrolled him. That was about 7 years ago. He told us that the public school had overcrowded classrooms and didn’t have a library or study facilities. He was immediately impressed with Achungo and with its hospitality. “The teachers are very friendly and the school is perfect. And to my surprise it has bathrooms unlike my former school.”
Cedrick likes to play football (soccer) and swim in the local pond and likes playing the keyboards at church.
He told us, “When I am through with my schooling I want to become an aeronautical engineer. I like watching airplanes fly above and my dream is to one day design one of my own. It would be a very interesting career because you cannot make a thing that you cannot operate, so I would be even more than just a pilot. I also would be able to buy my auntie a car and build her a big mansion once I am making money. In our society there is a lot of poverty and I hope to eradicate it one day. Although life has been hard I have high hopes towards a better future.
The best thing about Achungo is that they really care about the well-being of orphans and that is really encouraging. I hope that our school director will continue with helping orphans.”