NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 31 — A Kibera-based school has consistently produced top performers for the past four years who have joined high schools in Kenya and United States of America.
Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco) Kibera School for Girls (KSG) has put little-known Gatwekera village in the middle of Kibera slums in the limelight, posting a mean score of 361 in the KCPE results released on Monday.
The stellar performance in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) 2021 saw the school emerge among the top 10 public schools in Nairobi County.
Lubembe Cendrine Khasoya topped the 2021 class scoring 403 marks followed by Mohamed Saada Musa and Ali Mariam Ibrahim who garnered 402 and 400 respectively.
In a class of 21 pupils, 18 scored between 300 and 399 marks out of the possible 500 marks. Cedrine, who comes from a family of seven children, wants to become a neurosurgeon and her dream school is Kenya High.
“I want to thank Shofco for giving me an opportunity to study at KSG free of charge. My parents could not afford to pay school fees but they let me learn free of charge,” she said.
The school was established in 2009 by Shofco CEO Dr Kennedy Odede in a small mud-walled classroom with a handful of pupils.
The first candidates sat KCPE exam in 2017, posting a mean score of 354, producing five girls who joined various high schools in the United States of America.
The school has been in the limelight since registering 100 percent transition to secondary schools, becoming one of the top schools in Nairobi.
With a population of 357, the school has established a boarding facility where pupils, who may have been abused at home or their parents have relocated to far-flung areas, are accommodated.
Dr Odede said the school was established to provide education to needy learners.
“Once a pupil is admitted here, we give them full scholarships that include free tuition, school uniforms, meals, mentorship and medical cover. The only thing they need to do is to come and study,” said Dr Odede.
