Irene Otieno started Humwend Secondary School in January of 2009 and she is currently in Standard (grade) 1 out of 4. She will be graduating in December of 2012 and this scholarship will cover her second year of High School.

Irene is a bright student and she is doing well in her Geography, Business Studies, Agriculture and Biology classes. Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry are not her strongest classes however according to the Terminal report for Term 1 of year 2009 – her teachers think that she has potential and that she can do better in these classes. Hence,they are encouraging her to ask more questions and put more effort as practice will allow her to achieve better grades in those subjects.

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.