Tabitha Mwende : Leading by example

Tabitha Mwende smiles for a photo outside of the AEF Ruben School Administration block.

Tabitha Mwende, is our top scorer in the 2020/2021 National Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) Examination after scoring 393 marks out of the total 500. Attaining the good aforementioned marks meant rummaging through the murky and uncertain path of life left by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The AEF Ruben School ensured all the candidates had a sound environment and adequate support to successfully complete the examination. This included working with different actors from the Ruben Centre to mentor the candidates after the 8-month hiatus of uncertain school closure caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Tabitha took advantage of the support she received from the Ruben Fraternity to push the envelope and register desirable marks - all while being exemplary to her peers. As she waits for her high school admission, Tabitha dreams of joining Loreto High School Limuru - a girls’ high school in Limuru Town.

“I consider the good results as a blessing at a time when the future remains unpredictable but I am optimistic of the outcomes of performing well,” Tabitha shares as she warms up to a full scholarship from Hatua Network which provides secondary scholarships to needful but constrained learners.

The scholarship comes through a stitch in time since without it Tabitha’s ability to attend high school would have been hindered from a lack of financial support after her mother lost her job in the Industrial Area, joining thousands of affected parents by the pandemic.

The Ruben School registered a total of 341 learners to seat for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) Examinations for 2020. A total of 339 out of the total 341 were able to sit the exam. These includes 173 boys and 168 girls.

The general performance of the Ruben Primary Students was good as the school registered a mean score of 250 marks a great improvement from the previous years mean score, which was 242.17 marks. In addition, over 84 students scored 300 marks and above.

Securing scholarships for brilliant learners from adverse settlements such as Mukuru kwa Reuben has been a recurring challenge since time immemorial. It is therefore essential for the young talents and clever minds from informal settlements such as Mukuru kwa Reuben to be supported with scholarships and financial aid so they can realize their dreams.

Interested well-wishers, donors and other philanthropists are encouraged to reach out to the Ruben Centre through the official channels. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A just and empowered Mukuru community is possible.

Facilitated by Caroline Lugendo, Centre Secretary
Written by Margaret Kariuki, Networking & Advocacy Coordinator
Reviewed and approved by Scholastica Opiyo Headteacher - Ruben Primary School