RONALD SHIVACHI (ALUMNI)

The contagious smile and aura of enthusiasm surrounding Ronald Shivachi when he visited the Jomo Kenyatta foundation (JKF) are without a doubt his best unspoken way of expressing gratitude for what the organization has done to transform his life.

Four years ago, Shivachi had lost all hope of joining high school. He was born and abandoned as an infant. It took the intervention of his aunt to nurture and see him through primary education. That was not an easy task as she barely had enough to take care of her own children to begin with.

Shivachi did his KCPE and scored 356 points. He was admitted to Kajiado High School but reporting alone was a mirage. It was then that he applied for the JKF scholarship and was successful. He worked hard and scored an impressive B+ in KCSE.

On the day he came to JKF, the ebullient Shivachi was presenting his KCSE certificate. His next point of call was Maseno University, where he would pursue a Bachelor of Science in Computer Technology degree.

If the joy imprinted on Shivachi’s face is anything to write home about, then it is clear to all and sundry that the JKF scholarship is lighting up people’s lives. He promises to work hard and become a game changer in the computer technology industry. Crucially, he looks forward to giving back to society by paying for the education of needy students when money starts flowing into his wallet.

GODLIVER AUMA (FORM 2)

Godliver Auma’s story is one of sheer resilience and determination. Born in Busia County in a family of seven, her father, the sole breadwinner, died when she was barely six. The huge burden of taking care of the family rested squarely on her jobless and sickly mother.
The situation deteriorated to the point that they had to rely on well-wishers for upkeep. Godliver was determined to get out of the deep hole, and education was the only option. She wished to become a doctor.
On sitting the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, she scored an impressive 358 marks, and was admitted to St. Cecillia Girls’ Nangina. At the time her mother was bedridden.  
All seemed bleak but through some stroke of luck, she was advised by her primary school teachers to apply for The Jomo Kenyatta Foundation’s scholarship. She was among those who were successful. She is now in Form Two and going on well with her studies. Her mother passed on shortly after Auma got the scholarship.
Nothing, it seems, will stop Auma from realizing her lifelong dream, if the determination and hard work at school is anything to go by.

HANNAH NJERI GACHOKI.(Form 2)

By the time Hannah Njeri came to the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation for help, all her options had closed quite literally, coming from a single parent’s family with the mother as the sole provider with no reliable source of income Hannah had struggled with her primary education, the struggle was made more difficult with her mother’s failing health.

When Hanna sat her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination she scored 350 Marks, this was great news to her and the mother, but her joy was not complete, her mother had been diagnosed with cancer and required an operation which they could not afford.

It was at this point that we connected with Hannah and she went through our selection process and was awarded the full four year scholarship, she Joined South Tetu Girls and is currently doing well.
Shortly after taking her into our programme she lost her mother to cancer, apart from paying full school fees JKF caters for her personal effects, transport and pocket money.

OISHO STEPHEN KASAINE.(Form One)

At 14 years Oisho had never stepped into any classroom door, instead his schooling was in the fields herding his father’s heard of cattle, coming from the pastoralist family and being a strong boy this was his place from an early age.

In 2009 while doing what he knew best, herding his father’s cattle at the Amboseli National Park, Oisho was mauled by a buffalo and sustained injuries that saw him admitted at Loitoktok Sub county hospital for eight months.

As unfortunate as the incident was, the attack marked a turnaround for young oisho, finally at 14  years he got a chance to enroll as a pupil for the first time, so bright was the boy that within six years he was in class six and in 2016 he sat for his KCPE examination and scored 356 marks.

Despite the breakthrough that year the region experienced draught and his father lost all his cattle, in a community that education plays a second fiddle Oisho could not dare dream of joining High School until JKF stepped in.

Oisho is now one of our form one student at Olekejuado Highschool secured a full four year scholarship.

KIGEN COSMAS KIPLAGAT (form 4)

Cosmas Kigens life has been one of constant struggles, at the age of six he was diagnosed with a heart problem and had to be on medication for  six years his single mother who is a casual laborer could not afford and the grand father came to his rescue, by the time he was seating for his KCPE examination his mother had been diagnosed with HIV and due to stigma was thrown out of her family home  as if that was not enough , the grandfather was diagnosed with Kidney disease which required constant medical attention and drained his financial coffers. He could no longer support Cosmas. His dream of furthering his education was now squarely hinged on securing a scholarship with the JKF and when he managed to score 368 KCPE marks his hopes were increased.

In 2014 cosmos was among the students selected to join the JKF Scholarship programme and was admitted at St Joseph’s Kitale Boys High School  currently at form four, the heart condition has been a bother but despite this his performance from form one has been excellent and his star looks brighter by the day.

AMOS KOECH KIPRONO( form 3)
Amos Kiprono Koech had all but given up hope of ever joining High school, he had worked as hard as he could, given the dire situation in his home. His father had developed a mental illness and in his deranged state he had torched their house and sent his family packing, by the time Amos was seating for his KCPE examination, they were living as squatters in a mud house that was devoid of a roof, papers and pieces of wood sufficed as the cover.
After attaining an impressive 369marks,Koech was happy and eager to further his education but when he reported at Tenwek High school on admission day, he was send back the same day,, he hanged his academic boots and decided to embark on casual labor where he started making bricks in order to help fend for his deprived family, it is at this point that JKF found him, he was readmitted back to Tenwek under the JKF scholarship programme and is now in Form 3, his performance is quite impressive.

ISICHI SNORINE MWARILI. (FORM 3)
When she scored 374 marks, Snowrine Isinjiri Mwarili was all smiles, but her joy was marred by the anxiety she felt over her lack of school fees, though alive both her parents were jobless and could not afford to pay her school fees, her elder sister was in high school courtesy of relatives and well-wishers and therefore she could not run to the same people who were supporting her sister.
It was at this time that her primary school teacher advised her to apply for a JKF scholarship and after going through the process she was among the luck girls who joined the JKF programme in 2015, Snowrine is now a form three student at the Sacred Hearts Mukumu Girls High School and she still wants to be a doctor.

CHARITY NAZI KATANA. (Form four)
In the year 2013 Charity Katana Nazi from Kilifi County sat for her KCPE examination and scored an impressive 351 marks, she had a dream of becoming a Doctor and if the marks were to go by her dream was attainable.
The only obstacle to attaining her desire was her family dynamics, her parents though alive were desperately poor and could not even begin to try and raise any school fees. She had managed to clear primary education because of the government’s free primary education program and if help did not materialize she could just as well stop dreaming.
Being the fourth born in a family of eight the first three had dropped out of school her two sisters had already gotten married at an early age and her fate also seemed sealed, but her desire to succeed far outweighed the situation at home. It is this fire that pushed her to applying for the JKF scholarship, she was admitted at Matuga Girls High School and is a candidate this year.

MUTUMA ANDERSON MUTETHIA(Form One)

The story of Mutuma Anderson Mutethia is one of sheer determination and resilience, His family home was demolished and land taken over by a private firm, the parents had no option but to rent a one roomed house, with the loss of the land, they also lost their source of livelihood. It is against this tough background that Mutuma sat for his KCPE exams and managed to score an impressive 363 marks.

However life at home had detororiated and could not afford to even dream of joining high school until JKF came to his rescue, Mutuma is now in form one at Kenyatta High School mwatate under the JKFS full scholarship programme.