Taiyoo Kipkel due to sit National Exam to allow him to progress to high school

Taiyoo Kipkel has been attending Grade 9 and is due to sit for the National Exam to allow him to progress to high school.

He is one of 9 children and the second born.

He comes from a very poor family where there is not enough money to buy food. As with many of the children in this area, the only meals a child gets are the five a week provided by the schools. Due to the reduction in the World Food Programme, many schools now can’t even provide those meals. At some of our schools, a cup of tea a day is all a child has.

Taiyoo was walking for 1.5 hours each way to and from school.

Unfortunately, his family has substantial arrears of unpaid fees, which means Taiyoo had to be sent home a couple of months ago due to this. One of his teachers has been helping as best he can, but cannot afford to continue.

Taiyoo is a very bright student, however, he has fallen behind with his studies, which means he will not pass his exams, preventing him from progressing to high school.

Subject to finding a sponsor, I have arranged for home to become a border, and he will remain in school during the holidays when one of the teachers will be paid to provide the extra tuition that he needs.

The Head Teacher has agreed to allow him to start today while we find a sponsor.

As he will be leaving in a few months, the school has accepted my proposal that he does not need to buy a school uniform, so that the money needed for that can be used towards his extra tuition

Due to the fairly recent changes in education policy in Kenya, if he fails the exams this yea,r he will not be allowed to re-sit them, which means his only option will be to look for local unskilled work, for example looking after cows or general labouring which is very, very poorly paid.

If you know anyone who can help give this young man the chance he deserves, please send me a message.

The cost is £25.50 pcm, 83.8 pence a day!