By Jessica Lewis | Project Leader
Happy New Year!
As we get ready to start the new Kenyan school year this week, we are very proud to report that results of the 2018 national exams came in and once again we ranked 1st in our district of more than 140 schools! Additionally, four of our students scored in the top 1% nationwide!
Not only have we ranked first two years in a row, but our students are also performing at levels that make them competitive with some of the best in the country. Each November, 8th graders across Kenya take a national exam that determines which high schools they will qualify for. The exam is scored out of 500, and the highest score in the country is typically around 450. This year, the top score nationally was 453. Of our 22 8th graders who sat for the exam, four scored above 400, placing them in the top 1% of students across Kenya. These are remarkable results given the context in which we work, the social and economic disadvantages our students face, and the fact that we operate on such a lean budget. The fact that we are graduating students who are performing so highly reflects both our driving focus on providing marginalized children with the best academic foundation possible and our commitment to use each dollar available to us for maximum impact.
The following is a note our Founder and Executive Director, Kwamboka Okari, sent after receiving news of the results:
Hi all you good people!
We are all very excited about the performance of our 8th graders. Yesterday the community of Gotichaki poured into our school compound and broke in song and dance, in celebration of our school's performance...
Yes, we are No. ONE once again, out of 141 schools, this time round. We learned this yesterday. Our 1st student scored 427 out of 500 marks. The 1st student in Kenya scored 453 out of 500 marks. Twenty-two of our students sat for the exams. Four scored 427, 422, 416 and 409, respectively. For the next week, the head teacher and myself will be busy sourcing for scholarships for those who qualify for one. Will keep you posted of the outcome.
Once again, I would like to thank you very much for your continued support. Trust me, without your dedication and commitment to our cause, our school would not be where it is today.
Our warm regards,
Kwamobka
We are very excited to begin our 11th school year and thank you for your continued partnership. As Kwamboka said, our school and the hundreds of vulnerable children we educate each year would not be where they are without you!
Happy New Year,
The Okari Team
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