Grade Female: 9th - 12th Gr.

School Grade 11

Sylvia comes from a family of seven children, six girls and a boy. She is the fifth born in her family. She was born in 2006 at Mauta village, Mfangano South location to Tobias Otieno and her late mother Janet Achieng. Her mother passed away when she was still young, leaving her and her siblings under the care of their father, who is just a peasant farmer.

At the time of Sylvia’s enrollment, her oldest sibling, Beatrice, was learning at Mauta primary school in grade 8. The second and third born siblings, Sharon and Rozenta, were also learning at Mauta primary school in grades 7 and 5, respectively. Eunice, the fourth born, was learning at Repairer in grade 4.  Rozenta, the sixth born was also learning at Mauta in KG2, while the last born, Honest, was not old enough to attend school yet.

After the death of Sylvia’s mother, her father remarried and had additional children with his second wife. Sylvia’s step-mother now helps in taking care of Sylvia and her siblings. However, being just a peasant farmer who depends on the farm produce, Sylvia’s father does not earn enough money to pay school levies and provide meals for his large family. 

While at home, Sylvia takes one to two meals, depending on the season and the crop produced. She sleeps in her father’s iron-roofed, mud-walled house on a mat and covers herself with a bed sheet.  Sylvia helps her step mother with house chores like washing dishes.

Sylvia was enrolled in GGCC in January of 2015 in grade two through the vetting committee. She is very happy to be enrolled at GGCC because of the quality of the education the school offers and she is sure she will learn without the fear of her schooling being interrupted because she cannot afford it.

She loves playing football.

Update, November 2017:

Sylvia has placed 7th in her class of 45 students and really enjoys learning.  Her favorite subjects are science and Swahili.  Sylvia hopes to be a nurse once she finishes school.  She attends a Baptist church when she returns to her village.  In her free time, Sylvia enjoys playing soccer.

Grade 11 - 2024

DOB: 2006

Partial Orphan