MaRia W. ikEre

15 years old
Form 1 (sec. 2) student at Mirithu Secondary School
Resident of Gachie, outside Nairobi
When she grows up, she dreams of becoming an Accountant!
Started in January 2007, expected to graduate December 2010
Total funding for 2007: US$750

Administrator:
Anne-Marie Di Lullo +254-727-238-997 tabasamu.trust@gmail.com

PARTIALLY FUNDED FOR 2007: Mr. Michele Discepola and Mrs. Céline Riendeau - Canada


Maria lives in Gachie, a small town on the outskirts of Nairobi, incidentally, so close it seems her Member of Parliament does not deem it important enough to push for extension of paved roads into this area! So visiting her is an adventure in itself. Last time I was there, I hit a pothole so deep my wheel alignment was thrown right off! She is lucky to have grown up in a relatively small family of 4 children, of which she is the only girl, the third born, and currently the first one of her family members to ever attend high school. She is a sharp girl who has the organizational skills of, well, an accountant, and that’s exactly what she dreams of becoming someday. To this end, we’ve started her on a small cash budget for which she is entirely responsible, every school term. She can do what she pleases with it, but when it runs out, she has to know where it went. She has started classes at Mirithu Secondary School, a very highly regarded provincial girls’ boarding school. Living on her own for the first time will also have her learn other important skills such as tidiness, responsibility, time planning and making friends. She says she loves to read, so hopefully her evenings in a fully electrified institution will allow her to read after dinner. I’m sure she would appreciate receiving novels now and then! She says she is most excited to start her science and math classes, because up until now, her chances of starting high school had seemed pretty slim, and so she had convinced herself she would be staying home like her brothers. Now she is glowing with energy and hope that the future will allow her to prove her full potential!