Elizabeth Atieno Asingo is 17 years old and studies at Humwend Secondary School in Ukwala, Kenya. It takes Elizabeth an hour and a half to get to school each day; however, she enjoys school and says her favorite subject is Christian Religious Education (CRE). She is the laboratory official at her school as well as the secretary for the “Straight Talk” club. After she graduates from high school Elizabeth would like to be a lawyer. Her mother inspires her, and her role model is Mukula Kilozo who is a lawyer in Kenya.

About the School

Humwend Secondary School is a community-run school situated in Ukwala. Here, 57 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, and 24 per cent lives with the highly stigmatized human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Fifty students attend the school, 95 per cent of which are partial or complete orphans.

The cost of operating Humwend Secondary School for an entire year is approximately $21,000 USD. Unlike primary education in Kenya, the cost of tuition in secondary school is significantly higher and makes up the majority of school costs.