CLASS OF 2022

IAN

Ian is one lucky kid! The people that surround him have given selflessly of themselves to be able to help him succeed in life. There was his friend and classmate in elementary school who would share his lunch with Ian when his family could not afford to buy food. His school teacher who realized that Ian was unkempt and dirty when he attended school and asked him what was wrong, only to find out that Ian’s entire family had been homeless for about a week and were sleeping in the streets of Nairobi. They had been being kicked out of their studio apartment for failure to pay the rent. When Ian’s family later decided to move to a cheaper city in search of work, one of his class teachers took him in and he remained under the care of his teachers until he completed his elementary school. We at Rehema would like to acknowledge and applaud the efforts of the communities that surround our scholars. Ian is now in high school on a Rehema scholarship because his family, friends and teachers made sacrifices for his education and well-being. Ian plans to be a doctor when he grows up.

SELESA

Selesa wants to be an oncologist when she grows up. She plans on not only getting her medical degree but also pursuing her Ph.D. She says that she would love to know what it feels like to be called a professor once she gets her PhD. Cancer robbed Selesa of her mother when she was only 10 years old. Selesa and her siblings had to move in with her aunt as their father was unemployed and unable to cater to their basic needs. As a result of her mother's death and her father’s unemployment, Selesa’s aunt struggled to provide her with school fees throughout her elementary school years. She was sent home several times for lacking money to pay for her education. Despite all this, Selesa maintained high scores in her classes and worked hard to stay at the top of her class. Selesa is now in high school on a Rehema scholarship because of the generosity of our donors. She believes that as an oncologist, she will be able to live a better life than the one she has now. She plans to dedicate her time to creating awareness in the community of the importance of early screenings for cancer. She has hope that her mom will be proud of her accomplishments.

GRACIOUS

Gracious would like to be a journalist when she grows up. She plans to work hard in this dynamic and competitive world in order to lift her family from poverty. Gracious comes from a single parent household. Her mom is a casual laborer in Nairobi and could barely afford to pay for Gracious’ school fees when she was in elementary school. A few years ago, Gracious was forced to drop out of elementary school to find work that would help supplement her mom’s income and keep them afloat. Gracious is lucky to have wonderful teachers who looked out for her in her time of need, and helped her get back to school. They not only helped pay for her school fees but also tutored her and provided her with basic school supplies. When she graduated from middle school in 2018, she was one of the top students in the Kenya national exam (KCPE). Gracious has officially embarked on her journey of becoming a journalist.

IMMACULATE

Immaculate is the last born in a family of five. Her father, who had been supporting the family financially, is currently sick and on dialysis. What this means is that most of her family’s income is being spent on his health. Immaculate’s family struggled with paying her school fees through middle school. She is now in high school on a Rehema scholarship. Immaculate would like to be a doctor. When she grows up, she plans to build an orphanage to help the many helpless and homeless children in Kenya.

SAMUEL

Samuel began his education at Viwandani  slums in Nairobi. When his family was displaced from the slums, Samuel moved in with his head teacher to continue with his schooling. His kind and education minded principal provided him with support including: school supplies, school uniform, and his middle school fees and tuition money. Samuel wants to be an engineer. He says that he would love to focus on electronics and become an entrepreneur when he grows up. Samuel has been repairing people’s cell phones, radios and other electronics in order to earn a small allowance. Samuel says he wants to be part of the new world order - which he believes is the world of electronics.

MWANDUME

Mwandume lost his parents  at a young age and was left in the hands of his elderly 83 year old grandmother. Mwandume is from a poor background that even getting food to eat has been extremely difficult. He had to work to take himself through primary school which cost Kshs. 70 per month (less than US $ 1). To make matters worse, during this time, Mwandume’s primary school did not have enough teachers and so they would only have three lessons a day. This meant that he had to do a lot of studying on his own and with sparse supplies. When he is not at school studying, Mwandume works as a cow herder at a salary of Kshs. 500 per month (USD $ 5). He uses this money to help pay for his 83 year old grandmother’s needs. Apart from herding cows, he also grows vegetables to help with their daily needs. Despite these obstacles and difficulties, Mwandume excelled in his KCPE exams. When we offered Mwandume one of Rehema’s scholarship, he impressed our interviewer by stating that all he needed was help paying his school fees and tuition, and that he would handle the rest by himself because he is a hard-working person and would not let his family down. Mwandume now has Rehema and we have complete faith in his abilities to succeed in his chosen path.

MUTHINI

Muthini is the second born in his family His father passed away two years ago. His mother relies on casual jobs in the village and can barely support her young family’s needs. When Muthini was in elementary school, the administration decided to exempt him from paying tuition and school fees since his family had no means of doing so. He was overjoyed to receive a scholarship award from Rehema. His community in rural Kenya came together to help make sure that Muthini was able to go to school. They did a fundraiser to ensure that he got his basic necessities and supplies for the new boarding school, and the local pastor helped get him safely to school. Muthini would like to be a surgeon.