Secondary school pupil profiles

To highlight the impact a donation or sponsorship can make, we have heard back from three St Johns secondary school pupils.

Buruwani Majaliwa

Burhani writing before going to secondary school

My name is Burhan Majaliwa Mwagowani. I am a girl age 14 years old. I live with my mother together with my three brothers. My father passed in 2018 of dehydration. My late father was our provider but since his demise everything changed. Life became tough on us. At that time, I was in standard six and my older brother was in form one. My mother did everything even worked as house maid so that we could go to school. The school board also helped us by paying half of the school fees. By God’s grace, I completed primary studies at St. John’s First Baptist school.

I was the top student at our school scoring 397 marks in KCPE exams 2021. I am hoping to join secondary school in the coming term but unfortunately my parent is not able to afford school fees nor other expenditures. She currently lost her job and is currently stranded. By other brother who is now in form 3 is at home because of lack of school fees. I am hereby appealing that someone to help me to continue with my studies. I have an ambition of becoming an engineer in future.

Burhani starts secondary school

In January 2023 Burhani started at the Bahari Girls Secondary School, a two hour drive up the coast to the north. Her school fees, expenses and travel are provided by a sponsor through The Shonda Project. 

At the end of 2023 Burhani was the top pupil in her stream of 60 girls.

A message from Burhani, summer 2024

“HELLO, it’s is Burhan Majaliwa. I am doing good. It has been a very busy term. Busy preparing for my KCSE exam. I have been studying hard to ensure I achieve my target. I believe with the effort I am putting towards my study I’ll be able to get the best grade to take me to the university. It means a lot to me since I will be the first child in my family to go to the university and therefore I am working on to achieve this.

Back at home my mother together with my three brothers are fine. They have sent their greetings to you. The expect a lot from me. I have promise them I’ll not disappoint them. I am also promising that the money you have invested in me will not be a loss.

My ambition is to study medicine at the best university in Kenya. I am very grateful for supporting me and I hereby say THANK YOU. I hope you’ll keep on supporting me to further my studies. THANK YOU”

Marium Juma

An extract from the report on Marium Juma by the senior master in March 2023

“Marium has been our pupil since she joined this school wayback Feb 2011 up to Dec 2022 having graduated from Standard 8. Mariam is a single parent girl. She has a mother who is multi-physical disabilities. When walking she needs support, when sitting one must support her as she sits.

Note: The survival of Mariam and her Mothers has been through well wishers … they depend entirely on food provided by NGOs to people with physical challenges.

The school has been a key player towards Mariam’s education in the following

• Providing clothing

• Text books and exercise books

• The school feeding programme for both morning snacks and lunch

Despite all that Mariam worked hard and managed to score 300 out of 500 mark during her KCPE 2022.

Mariam has a brother who is visually impaired at the school. We will appreciate for any help offered to Mariam to make her meet her dream of becoming a saviour to her family.

A message from Mariam in summer 2024

My name is MARIAM JUMA KHATIBU, I live with a single parent who is my mother. She always makes sure I do my studies without any difficulties . I learn from ST TERESSA GATURA GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL. It is located in Gatanga sub county,in Murang’a county.

I’m in form 2 Green. I am in a class of 62 students. I like doing my revision during my free time. We also have maths hour on Sundays at around 2:30 pm. I also read with my fellow friends. We help each other in some subjects which we find them quite challenging. Some of our teachers come in our classes on Sunday afternoon to help us in solving challenging sums.

We did our opener exams in term one. I had a mean grade of a B_ with 83 points. In stream position, I was in number 6 and in overal position, I was in number 14.We also did our mid term exams and I had a mean grade of a B+ with 86 points. In stream position, I was in number 3 with a tie of 4 students and in overall position,I was in number 6. We did our end of term exam and I had a mean grade of a B_ with 76 points. In stream position, I was in number 7 and in overall positon, I was in number 16.

In term 2, we did not do our opener exams because many students were sent back home for school fees. We did our mid term exams and I had scored a B+ with 80 points. In stream position, I was in number 4 results are not out till Wednesday this week. They will be available on Zeraki analytics App.

In school, the school climate is too cold but we have to bare with it so as to fulfill our dream . It is located near Aberdare Forest.We have got very many teachers.They always support us and make sure that we do our studies without any difficulties.

I would like to study at KENYATTA UNIVERSITY. It is located at Nairobi county. I’m saying this because we had a trip there.We also found out that it has got many facilities. We first had a small meeting in a hall known as Amphere theater. We had a lecturer who told us to be focus in doing everything. He also told us that two things will make us succeed in our studies. These are: patience and be determined always.

Er.future. I want to become a lawyer because I want justice to take place. I would like you to assist my mother with a small amount of money so that she can buy some food. We usually have two meals a day and sometimes sleep with an empty stomach. I would also like to thank you for helping me in doing my studies. May the almighty God bless you and may you live long 

Christopher Omwaka

The following is an extract from a report on Christopher by the senior master in 2023.

Christopher is our student right from pre school up to class 8 of 2022. Christopher lives in Shonda Village, just about 50m from the school. This is a boy the entire staff thought would do well in KCPE end of school exams (these determine whether the pupil can proceed to secondary school and if so which one.)

The school has played a vital role to support him through feeding programme in the school for him to get lunch with the rest after the administration got information that Christopher could sometimes come back to school without taking lunch. Through all these challenges Christopher performance shows that any minimal support to him can change his life into better. 

Parents

Christopher’s father died when the boy was class 4. Christopher’s mother has no permanent job but she does household work in people’s homes. Any other work in order to get some little monies to buy food for the family.

In conclusion

Christopher Omwaka has selected for one of the National school … he can make the Shonda Village proud. Let me assure you that Christopher’s potential, if well utilised then it will of great use to his family and Shonda Village at large.

A message from Christopher omwaka, summer 2024

“How are you doing? I hope you are doing well together with your families as for me I am doing great together with my family all thanks to the almighty God who has sustain me for this long. I am glad to be back home and am glad to see my former teachers together with my school still doing well.

I went to one of the prestigious school in Nakuru county (Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School) all thanks to your support of which I really appreciate.In school I met different people different walks of life with same objectives and goals and that is being great in our four years journey .Teachers are friendly and we are freely to consult them in all our undertakings.

I am planning to continue with my studies during my free time in libraries as I wait for third term. I am still doing good in my academics.I was able to be position two out of seventy one in class my with a mean grade of B plain.I know it is not enough but I promise to get more bigger grade than this one come next time.

My school fees you settled it all thanks to you but there are remedial classes of which they introduce last term which cost Sh.1500 and I humbly request you to settle it for me.

May God bless you in abundance together with your families since you have left a mark in my life that will always remind me the good things you have done for me.you gave me hope when I was about to give up. Words are not enough for your good things. Thank you.”