Send 6 Children to High School in Kibera

This is the story of Collins -- a high school student supported by St. Vincent's. Although Collin's wasn't among the initial 6 students identified to receive high school support this year, his case came to our attention and we decided we had to intervene.  We are constantly being referred children in need of school support and having to make difficult decisions about how to spend our limited resources. When Collins' came to us, we knew this was a case that needed our attention.

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My name is Collins and I am 15 years old. I currently reside in Gatwekera Village [Kibera] with my uncle. Due to domestic issues, my parents separated while I was still very young and I have never seen my father. As long as I can remember, my mother has always been the sole breadwinner, getting casual employment from tea farms and homesteads that need household work to be done. Since I was born, life has never been easy. The little my mother earned had to be shared to serve different needs in the family. More often than not, basic needs like food clothing and shelter have always been hard to come by. My elder brother had to drop out of school and become a herdsman due to lack of school fees.

Through all this hardship, I never gave up, I worked hard on my studies and my sweat paid off when I did my final primary school exam (KCPE). I was able to score 353 marks out of the possible 500. I was overjoyed when I got my results plus the information that the secondary school of my choice Dagoreti High school offered me admission. Unfortunately, the joy was short lived. I soon realized neither my mother nor my uncle were able to afford to pay the school fees plus the school requirements (e.g., books, uniform, etc.) that were needed. Through the guidance of my former teachers, I applied to various scholarships that had learned about, but luck was not on my side again and I wasn’t successful in any of my applications.  I was almost giving up until I was referred to St. Vincent de Paul to seek assistance.

I was surprised that the members of the organization listened to my story and opened their door for me. They pledged to pay my school fees and the school requirements. It is a promise that they kept. I am now so happy and grateful for St. Vincent to give me an opportunity to continue with my studies.  I am sure that, had they not intervened, I was likely to join my brother in herding cattle. I promise to work very hard with my class work and to be a disciplined student. My dream is to become a doctor so that I can serve people fairly without discrimination of any kind. Though it is a long journey, I know through hard work I will become successful. Thank you all.