My name is Kelvin Thairu. I was born in 2003 to a family of nine, and I am the sixth child. I started preschool in 2009 and later enrolled in class one. In 2011, my beloved mother passed away, making life more challenging at home. We relied on our father, who was a small-scale farmer. Due to financial constraints, some of my brothers had to drop out of school. The situation at home began to affect my performance in school. At that time, I was in grade 5, and I was forced to stay at home for one month.

Before the end of that term, my class teacher, Mr. Kuria, sent a classmate to inform me that he was willing to pay my school fees. I returned to school but could not afford lunch for the entire academic year. My school uniform was torn and unkempt. Nevertheless, I continued to do my best in school and consistently ranked at the top of my class.

When I reached class 8, the head teacher brought some forms from Empower the World Foundation (EWF) scholarship program. I was one of the students selected to fill out the forms. I sat for my KCPE national exams and scored 344.

I was accepted, and Hillary conducted a home visit. I was over the moon and could not believe that I was going to join secondary school. I was admitted to Archbishop Ndingi Secondary School. Empower the World Foundation ensured that I had everything I needed. I took my KCSE and achieved a score of B+.

I am incredibly grateful for the support I received from EWF. It alleviated the burden on my father, and I firmly believe that the future is bright.