Givology - give to learn, learn to give

My name is Kechula Paul Bwire. I belong to a family of seven--which includes my mother, aunt and four siblings. I am the fourth born in the family. My father passed away when I was very young. We live in Gatwekera, which is a region of Kibera. Our house is made of mud.

I am a former student of the Olympic Primary school, a school also located in Kibera. It is a fairly well known and prestigious school. I was a member of the school from class one to class eight (2006-2013). I was respectful, faithful, and hardworking throughout my primary education. At the end of the eighth years, I managed to score a mark of 358 on the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). I was ranked 32nd of the 400 students at my school during our trial examinations.

In school, I used to wear torn uniforms. You could find multiple stitches on the clothes I wore. When I saw my peers wearing brand new ones, I was often discouraged. When I was called to the front of the class to write on the board, I often heard murmurs and laughters with regards to my appearance. I would become very embarrassed and would run outside because I was unable to bear the shame. I thank God that I was able to overcome this. Throughout my life, there have been obstacles that have hindered me from being able to achieve what I desired, however, with the encouragement from my mother and aunt, I never lost my motivation.