This is Samuel. He hasn't had the greatest start in life, but I was lucky enough to spend half an hour or so talking with him this morning.
He is the most delightful young man.
He is in the first term at Rang'ala Boys secondary school. And he loves it.
He never believed he would go. Four years ago his marks at primary school were poor. You need at least 250 out of 500 to get a secondary school and he was getting marks in the 100's. But Samuel found a place to settle in our home at Mamboleo on a hillside on the outskirts of Kisumu.
He also found inspiriation in a another pupil who befriended him at his primary school.
His friend, a girl in the same class, encouraged him to achieve more. She was scoring around 300 and looking forward to secondary school.
Through sheer hard work Samuel studied and studied. His marks improved each year until, by class 8 and his KCPE exams he managed the remarkable score of 280.
He was overjoyed.
Still he didn't get a letter calling him to secondary school, so Moses and Paul James set about finding him one. We already have 2 boys in Rang'ala, Shadrack and Atenas, both in Form 2 and both loving it, so Moses and Paul James went up there to see what they could do.
After much pleading they agreed to take Samuel, knowing what good students Shadrack and Atenas had proved to be.
Samuel started in the middle of February, 3 weeks after everyone else, but his attitude is the most refreshing I have come across in all of our children.
Other boys there ask him what mark he got in KCPE, he simply says that it isn't about the past, but the present and he only lives in the present. He says that they only passed their exams by cramming, but he studies because he likes to know. He is sure he will overtake them
Despite missing 3 weeks of the first term he has scored above average in the end of term exams. He reckons he will be in the top 10 before he reaches form 3.
You know, I think he just might
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