From sports to education, Shofco continues their support

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 30 – It was celebration galore at the Kibera School for Girls when SHOFCO CEO Kennedy Odede joined students, teachers and parents in marking the end of primary school journey and ushering in a new beginning for the 2020 KCPE candidates on Friday.

The class of 2020 has been the talk of town since April when they felled giants to emerge in the top three in Kibera sub-county with three students posting over 400 marks, 14 between 350 and 399 with just five below 350 among the 22 candidates for a mean score of 365, the highest ever.

It was a motivation and inspiration to the graduates to keep moving forward in their academic journey and an assurance to them of SHOFCO’s commitment to continue supporting their education.

To the students and parents, it was not just a celebration of success but relief that SHOFCO stood with them at their hour of need.

“I want to thank Kennedy for what he has done for the people of Kibera because most of us are poor but he has stood with us. My daughter came here in 2011 in pre-school and I have not paid a cent, it is all SHOFCO. I would like to urge him to expand this programme countrywide if possible,” said Bernard Omido, whose daughter Bellyn scored 400 and would like to join Alliance Girls.

Bellyn, who would like to study nursing, is equally thankful to Odede and SHOFCO. She said: “I did not know that I could get 400 marks but I appreciate my teachers and parents for pressuring me to achieve this. I could not have done it if SHOFCO had not provided a conducive environment for us.”

Beatrice Nthenya, whose daughter Faith Mwende scored 391 marks echoed those sentiments. “I thank SHOFCO because my daughter never lacked anything in school since she came here. May God continue blessing Kennedy and lift him to help many more. Shofco has taken us to greater heights,” she said.

For Faith, who would like to join Moi Girls and become an engineer in future, it is all about keeping faith. “They led us in the right manner and put us in a good place. We never experienced any challenges, thanks to SHOFCO. I’m proud of where I’ve come from, where I’m going and I know I will make it,” she said confidently.

Under the Girls Leadership and Education Programme, the Kibera school, alongside another one in Mathare, are a brainchild of Odede, who set them up as a way of empowering girls from the slum community.

So far, the school in Kibera, which has over 350 students, has had students sit for KCPE in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 while in Mathare, 250 students from pre-primary to Grade 5 are already on their books.

Once admitted, the girls have access to a full scholarship. Uniform, fees, medical and food is all catered for and all they have to do is focus on their education.

“I’m happy to see you girls succeed. When you do this, you give us and the rest hope that Kibera can produce the best and now it is up to you to ensure you continue this way in secondary school so that when you are done, you can change your families and the community,” said Odede, while addressing the students.

For the graduates, the greatest challenge now is adapting to their new environment and staying true to SHOFCO’s core values even though they can be rest assured that their welfare beyond primary is taken care of.

“We offer continuous mentorship which helps when they go to a new environment and our gender department also offer counselling. We also have a policy that a certain level of performance has to be maintained to stay in the programme so knowing their backgrounds, the girls work hard not to lose it” said SHOFCO Education Director Hecky Odera.

The graduates are lucky to have others ahead of them who have already lived the experience and they got to learn and see first-hand from Ivy Murugi, Prudence Achieng, Marion Adhiambo, Elizabeth Achieng, all studying at Rising Sophmore in Virginia, USA and Beldine Wasonga of Rising Senior.

The five are among past graduates of Kibera School who secured scholarships to study in top high schools in America.

“Look at us, nobody could imagine that a poor girl from Kibera would brush shoulders with the very best in the world in top American schools but that is exactly what we are experiencing. This would not have come without hard work and that is why you should not rest on your laurels,” Prudence told the graduates and the rest of the students.

Ivy added: “I’m living proof that it is possible. With focus, you like me, will go to great schools and when you come back, let us all be the agents of change that our CEO envisioned.”

Through their partners in the US, SHOFCO offers between three and five girls that graduate every year and have shown a different kind of leadership, level of knowledge and wisdom an opportunity to study at top high schools in America and the five are some of the beneficiaries of this programme.

With the class of 2020 having broken all previous academic records, they have acted not just as inspiration to the rest but now, there is added pressure on the 2021 candidates and teachers to maintain if not surpass those levels.

“The school community has a strong self-belief that it can be done and we stay true to our mantra that the slum remains our identity but not our destination. This pressure is going to push us to our destination,” said Odera.