Scovia's School Success

Scovia was only a little girl when she promised her sister she would work hard to succeed in life. At that young age she was determined to become the ‘best doctor in Kenya’.

Her mother’s illness often made looking after the two girls difficult and so Scovia predominantly grew up in the care of her older sister, living in poverty and with little food:

“I don’t remember much about my life when I was younger. What often comes to mind is the night chill and the hunger. We were starving most of the time. My sister, only six years older than I was at the time, bore the brunt of the discomfort.”

It had seemed to the sisters that nothing would change, but when Scovia was five she was welcomed into our Open Arms Academy. Scovia never forgot her promise, cherishing her education, and her hard work was not in vain. Nine years after joining the academy, she passed her national examination, emerging the second highest scoring student at school, with 359 out of 500 marks. Scovia was overjoyed:

“I was so happy when I heard that I had passed my exams. I even got entry to a wonderful school. I am happy that Stand by Me chose to support me through my high school education. I want to make my family proud. My sister and I may not have had much to give, but we had love for each other and for our mother. I believe that is what kept us going. Maybe someday I will be able to help my mother heal.”

Scovia has now progressed onto her high school education, an achievement only reached by 36% of Kenyan children. Even there she keeps her promise, a top student in one of the best schools in the region, the future ‘best doctor’ in Kenya is receiving the education she needs to achieve her dreams.