Irene Awour's story:

Irene Awour started Humwend Secondary School in January of 2007 and she is currently in Standard (grade) 3 out of 4. She will be graduating in December of 2010 and this scholarship will cover her fourth year of High School.

Irene's favorite subject is Biology because she loves to learn about the “components of life.” After she finishes school, Irene would like to do further studies to become a doctor so she can go back to her community and help the needy as she was helped herself. She volunteers at the HIV Stigmatization group in her community.

About the School

Humwend Secondary School is a community-run school situated in Ukwala. Here, 57 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, and 24 per cent lives with the highly stigmatized human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Fifty students attend the school, 95 per cent of which are partial or complete orphans.

The cost of operating Humwend Secondary School for an entire year is approximately $21,000 USD. Unlike primary education in Kenya, the cost of tuition in secondary school is significantly higher and makes up the majority of school costs.