Edwin Owino, top student

 My name is Edwin Odhiambo Owino. I am 18 years old and a 2020 graduate of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School. I am the third born of seven siblings. I live with my parents in the Kibera slums and I love my family. I have lived partly upcountry and partly in Kibera slums in Nairobi due to the instability of my father’s work. Completing my primary school with my sister at the same time posed a great challenge for my family as my dad could not afford high school fees for the two of us.  God is always on my side and help came when I needed it most. Some staff members of St. Aloysius came to my primary school issuing scholarship forms to bright students from needy backgrounds. My headteacher kept a form for me since I was not in school that day and that’s how I got a chance to join St. Aloysius. This lifted the burden of my school fees off my father’s shoulders. My sister’s fee was partially paid by the church and she was also able to join high school.

When I was admitted to St. Aloysius, I was fascinated with the entire community here -the teachers, the support staff, and buildings. Attending St. Aloysius has been the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I met very different students but from similar backgrounds. We all had the same goals - to strive for success. Although I was an averagely performing student, I had the deepest urge to do my best and be successful one day so that I can help my parents. At school we had all the resources we could need for studying; however, home was different. It was very difficult to study at home and many times I would only study in school, forcing me to stay very late in the evening. The situation in the slums is very unfavorable. The sanitation is poor, the neighborhood is noisy, and there is constant fear due to high crime rate.

In my second year, I lost my eldest brother.  This was the hardest time for my family.  It was really hard to accept this loss, but thanks to the support from my classmates and everyone else I was able to cope with the situation. In the third year we went for the Quest retreat, which is one of the most memorable experiences of high school. It was a self-discovery journey that made me realize my full potential as a student. This marked the turning point in my life.  I started working harder in class and my grades improved tremendously.

COVID-19 came in the fourth year and this was the biggest challenge I have faced in my life yet. Being out of school for close to seven months was not easy, and was a most difficult time for my family too. My parents lost their livelihoods. I felt hopeless. I had lost the motivation to study because without being in school there seemed to be no future. It was really hard for my parents to feed the five of us. By the grace of God, the school stepped in to give us food packages which were a big help during the hard times.  Thanks to our dedicated teachers, we were also able to get review materials that helped us to study at home. Despite the uncertain times, the generosity shown by the St. Aloysius community continued motivating me. In St. Aloysius, I have learned and developed values rooted in Christian living. We had programs like the mentorship program, which helped us cope up with our hardships and challenges. We were taught life skills to help us be a better version of ourselves. Personally, St. Aloysius has been more than a school to me. It has been like another family, a second home. The school provided us with everything we could need to study, gain knowledge, and be better people in society.

As I write this story, I thank God that I emerged the best in my class with 75 points (Grade A-). I am grateful to the entire St. Aloysius community, the Jesuits, the Christian Life Community (CLC), friends, and the benefactors for giving me the opportunity to realize my dreams. I also thank the teachers for their support and dedication. Their determination, teamwork, and unlimited support have helped us achieve a lot. I am also very proud of my classmates for the efforts and hard work. Together we have made the school proud.

My dream is to study Computer Science at a good University was a focus on software development. If given a chance, I would like to study at Loyola University in Chicago. Right now, I am doing Community Service at St. Aloysius assisting in the computer laboratory. Community service is an important activity that ensures that all the students from the slums engage in activities to help develop the community. I would like to thank everyone for the support and motivation that have contributed to my success.  May God bless you.