Happiness and enthusiasm areabundant among the students at the Gundua Secondary School.  Meet some of the school children who have taken the chance with the greatest seriousness, despite long roads to school and often hard work at home.

Joy Gatwiri

AGE: 15 YEARS

”I quickly realised that the Gundua Secondary School gives me great possibilities to reach my goals. I especially like mathematics, and one of my goals is to be able to work with promoting education and making it possible for more children to go to school. I would really like to work with those with learning disabilities.

I try to plan my school days as much as possible. It can be simple things such as making sure to finish my duties in one subject before the next session. It gives me more time to practice and repeat my homework at the end of the day.

I live with my father, mother and two siblings around half an hour’s journey from school. In my free time I like to read and to write my own stories. I also like helping out at home and listening to music.

Fridah Kawira

AGE: 14 YEARS

“I applied to Gundua Secondary School because it is a fantastic environment with qualified teachers and well-equipped classrooms. What makes us so motivated to study is the acknowledgement from our teachers for our work and for the results we achieve. Something to share also with our parents.

At the moment I think geography is the most fun subject and my goal after school is to continue my studies at the university. But first, I would like to work at the Equity Bank [the largest bank in the area] for some time. In my free time I like to read books and to meet with my friends, of course.”

Dennis Mwirigi

AGE: 17 YEARS

“I live about one and a half hour’s ride from the school and I arrive at 7 am. The day’s lessons begin at eight and go on until four in the afternoon.  My goal is to become a doctor and therefore it is very important that there are teachers who are both educated and well qualified. In addition, it’s now affordable for my parents to pay the school fee.

After school I usually continue to study with my friends. I also like to go to church and listen to gospel music.”

Eddyson Mugo

AGE: 19 YEARS

“During a school day we have time to do a lot of things. Today, for instance, we finished our morning lessons with a group discussion. In the middle of the day we were busy with practical experiments in the lab, very interesting, and in the afternoon we had a field excursion to learn about different plants. Before I left to go home, there was even time for a little soccer.

It’s a good learning environment in the school. Above all, we have qualified teachers and the class- rooms are equipped with learning materials.  The school’s tuition fees are low in relation to the quality of the education.

In my spare time I like to read books and play soccer. I like to hang out with my friends and discuss what goes on around us.

After graduation I would like to study to become a pilot and to work for Kenya Airways.”

Angela Kanini

AGE: 18 YEARS

“It takes me about one hour to walk to school.The days are filled with teaching and individual studies. My favourite subject is English and I really feel I have found the right school to succeed later on in my life. My dream is to work within healthcare and I hope to become a nurse one day.

The teachers are qualified and very concerned that we follow our curriculum. And the tuition is affordable for my family to pay. We are a big family with five sisters and brothers and we all have to help out at home. When I’m free I like to sing and participate in youth meetings.”

Duncan Mwirigi

AGE: 14 YEARS

“A really good thing with the Gundua Secondary School is the support and help you get. The teachers are great at identifying the support we need and keen to make sure we understand if something is difficult. It increases the possibilities for more students to graduate successfully. Another good thing that means a lot to many of us is the low school fee.

My favourite subjects are mathematics and chemistry. Most of all I would like to work for the Equity Bank, but working at the Kisima Farm or becoming a teacher at Gundua Secondary School would also be great.

I have about one and a half hour’s journey to school and at home I often take care of our animals and our cattle. I like to read books and to listen to my grandfather’s stories, because they teach me so much about the history of Kenya and how our country works.”

Yvonne Galheri

AGE: 17 YEARS

“My days are full of studies. The person who most of all inspire me is Martha Karua [Kenyan politician and ex minister of defence]. My goal is to become a lawyer and reach a leading position in our country. What I love the most is when I get a chance to participate in discussions about interesting subjects. But I also like free activities such as ball games. The best thing with Gundua Secondary School is that the teachers help us reach our goals. They encourage us and coach us in the right direction. The classrooms are equipped to fit all needs and to me this is like a dream school.

I have a large family with five sisters and two brothers.  I like to do a lot of things, like dancing, going for walks and visiting friends.”

Julius Mutembei

AGE: 17 YEARS

“In the future I hope to work for Equity Bank. Another alternative is to become a teacher. What’s special about Gundua Secondary School is not only that the education and the learning take place in well-equipped facilities – which makes it so much easier to learn – but also all the encouragement we students receive. This is important now and also for the future, and is shown not the least in the result for the school. My favourite subject is English and I like to read books.

In my spare time I like to bike and help my parents with their daily chores.”