Child of the Week

Wilson Isalu

This week’s spotlighted child is Wilson Isalu.  Wilson is eighteen years old.  He resides at Holly House and attends Waddington High School:

My name is Wilson Isalu Onyengo.  I was born in Nairobi in April, 1998.  Our family is made of five members who are totally jobless and are living a miserable life.  I am the only child being looked after as I am the last born. 

I am the child of a single parent.  This is the result of my mother’s death in the year 2007.  She was the only breadwinner of our family and she was lovely but I am sorry we lost her.  It was during this time that our property was taken, leaving our family as poor as a church mouse.  We were welcomed to the field of suffering.  I was forced to remain outside of school for some years since my father was unable to pay for my school fees.  I even planned on committing suicide so that I could stop suffering but I was rescued by a neighbor who was passing by.

Due to all the suffering I experienced I would make away with people’s property so that I could get food since no one in our family was concerned with the other. 

I humbly request support from you so that I may achieve my goals in the future.  I have realized that the only weapon to fight poverty in our family is through education, which is the key to success.  Kenya is a good country with social people and there are so many areas of investment.  I personally have a desire to visit and know more about other countries.  After my high school level I would like to take a career in education.

I was glad to hear that my brother had met a good Samaritan in Nairobi who was ready to bring me to Holly House.  I have really learned a lot from him and from my fellow students.  My coming to Holly House has relit my vision.   

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                                                                        Yours Faithfully,

                                                                        Wilson Isalu

You can sponsor Wilson for only $30 a month.  Your sponsorship will cover school fees and help pay for room and board.  The sponsorship fees for Holly House children do not cover the entire cost of their living expenses, but help supplement the monthly needs for caring for the children in the orphanage.  The remaining portion of their living expenses are covered through separate donations.  As a sponsor, you will receive an annual photo and personal information about your sponsored child.  Your sponsored child will send you letters, and you will receive information regarding how to correspond with your sponsored child, should you choose to do so. 

To sponsor Wilson or for more information, please visit His Hands for Kenya or contact us here.  Please sponsor a Kenyan child today!

Child of the Week

Dorice Nyangweso

This week’s spotlighted child is Dorice Nyangweso.  Dorice is seventeen years old.  She resides at Holly House and attends Waddington High School:

My name is Dorice Nyangweso Otieko.  I was born on January 7, 1999.  I was born by both parents who were jobless.  Due to their situation of joblessness, I faced many challenges in my primary education.  I perservered all the challenges and worked hard to attain my goals. I managed to get 354 marks in my KCPE exams.

Lack of finances forced me to stay home as the other children were joining secondary school.  I had wanted to continue with my education but I was now losing hope.  I never knew if I would go to secondary school.

One day, as I was quiet sitting under the shade, a strange man walked into our compound.  He told me to prepare myself to go to school.  I thanked God for that. By good luck I found myself in Lorna Waddington.

Here in Holly House I’m happy going on well with my education.  I work hard in my education to achieve my goals.  I would like to explore many countries and help the helpless children in different countries. 

I would be happy if you sponsor me in education to achieve my goals since my parents are jobless.  I will strive and make sure I achieve my dreams and accomplish my missions in the future.  May God fill you with many blessings.

                                                                        Yours Loving,

                                                                        Dorice Nyangweso

You can sponsor Dorice for only $30 a month.  Your sponsorship will cover school fees and help pay for room and board.  The sponsorship fees for Holly House children do not cover the entire cost of their living expenses, but help supplement the monthly needs for caring for the children in the orphanage.  The remaining portion of their living expenses are covered through separate donations.  As a sponsor, you will receive a photo and personal information about your sponsored child.  Your sponsored child will send you letters, and you will receive information regarding how to correspond with your sponsored child, should you choose to do so. 

To sponsor Dorice or for more information, please visit His Hands for Kenya or contact us here.  Please sponsor a Kenyan child today!

What are the KCPE and KCSE?

When reading posts on the blog or letters from your sponsored children, you may have seen references to the KCPE or KCSE exams and wondered what those are all about. In Kenya, students are required to take cumulative examinations in order to receive certificates of completion for both primary and secondary school at the end of Standard 8 and high school, respectively. Obtaining these certifications is critical to the future success of our GPS and WHS students. Achieving a certain Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (“KCPE”) exam score is required for Standard 8 students to gain admission to secondary school while scores on the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (“KCSE”) exam determine university and trade school admissions, as well as job eligibility, for Form 4 students. For those Form 4 students unable to continue on to university, obtaining the KCSE can mean the difference between a decent job or admission to trade school and struggling to make ends meet in the slums.

KCPE Exam

The KCPE Exam tests students in the following subjects - Maths, English, Kiswahili, Social Studies, Science, and Religious Studies. The test is typically taken in November and results are made available in January. Due to the timing of the exam, the beginning of high school Form 1 classes is generally delayed until late January.

The maximum score on the exam is 500 points. For reference, in 2015 the Kenyan government reported that 49.61% of Kenyan students nationally achieved the mean score of 250 marks. The highest score achieved by any student in Kenya on the 2015 exam was 446 marks.

Waddington High School generally requires a minimum KCPE score of 240 marks for admission.

KCSE Exam

The KCSE Exam is administered to Form 4 students and tests a minimum of seven subjects. Students are required to test in three compulsory subjects (Maths, Kiswahili, and English), at least two sciences (choosing among Chemistry, Biology, and Physics), one humanities (choosing among History and Government, Geography, Christian Religious Education, Islamic Religious Education, and Hindu Religious Education), and at least one Practical (Home Science, Art and Design, Agriculture, Computer Studies, or Aviation) or Technical (French, German, Arabic, Music, or Business Studies) subject. The choices available to students are generally limited by the curriculum available at their high school. For example, due to lack of funds the only Practical or Technical subject taught at WHS is Business Studies.

Testing for the KCSE Exam typically begins in late October and ends in late November. KCSE Exam results are not released until the end of February. High school graduates planning to continue their education apply to University and other programs after receiving their KCSE scores, and begin their post-secondary programs the following January.

Kenya has a network of public and private universities that offer a broad range of career programs. In general, students who achieve a score of C+ or above on the KCSE Exam are eligible to attend public or private universities. Students who achieve a score of C or above may enroll in vocational programs or technical schools to obtain training for careers such as nursing, teaching, and accountancy.

Students scoring a B or higher on the KCSE Exam are eligible to receive government loan assistance at public universities. For students at WHS, scoring high enough on the KCSE to qualify for the government loan program is typically the only way that they can afford to attend university.