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Age: 17
Form 4 (Grade 12) – January, 2019
School: Giakanja Boys High School – Boarding
PA-MOJA Scholarship started: Form 1 (Grade 9)
Tribe: Kikuyu
Kennedy lives with his parents Daniel Kinyua and Alice Wamuyu in Marura village near the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Kennedy is the last born in a family of seven children. He has four older brothers and sisters. The third born son,
George, is only other family member who has attended post-secondary school. George performed well in high school and earned a chance to join a teaching collage. His entire fee was paid by the community through a community fundraising event (Harambe). He is now working as a teacher at a secondary school in Nakuru.
Daniel and Alice own a small piece of land which they inherited from their parents. They grow maize, beans, cassava and sweet potatoes as long as there is enough rain; they also have three cows and a few chickens. The family lives in a small timber house with an iron sheet roof without running water or electricity. Water is carried home from a nearby river.
During school holidays Kennedy helps his parents on the farm. Because of constant droughts, Kennedy paid his own examination fees in primary school by laboring on other people’s farms. He continues to do this whenever he can in order to earn money for personal items and school supplies.
During school holidays Kennedy helps his parents on the farm. He often works on other people’s farms to earn money for personal items and school supplies. He sometimes gets together with other fellow classmates to go over school subjects and study. His favorite subject is math and his favorite teacher is his Math teacher, Mr. Ngigi, because he motivates his students and spends extra time with them after class. When he has a bit of spare time he likes to read novels, socialize with his friends, play volleyball.
Kennedy comes from Kikuyu tribe, one of 42 tribes in Kenya. He likes many of the tribal celebrations, including Kikuyu wedding dances. If given a chance to change something in his tribe he would encourage unity among his tribe members and all other tribes in Kenya so as to make Kenya a more harmonious place. He is proud to be Kenyan because it’s an independent country that has human rights and freedoms but he is concerned about government corruption. If given the chance he would educate people about the damage it does, especially to the poor. Kennedy’s dream is to become a lawyer so that he can address some of these issues. He is hoping to attend the University of Nairobi after high school.
When asked to describe the best day of his life he described hearing the news that he had been awarded a PA-MOJA scholarship. He said it was the best thing that has every happened to him. In the future he would like to start an organization like PA-MOJA to help needy kids.
Kennedy has a message for his PA-MOJA donors: “I am so grateful to all the PA-MOJA donors for giving me this scholarship. If I hadn’t received this scholarship, I could not have gone to high school and would have faced a future as a casual laborer on other people’s farms. I promise to do my best to help other needy students if I am successful. Thank you so much. Asante sana.”
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[one_third_last] Christmas Greetings,
School life and challenges
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