June Ndanu

Fourteen-year-old June goes to Bridge, Kitui in Kitui County. In her village, she says—there is lots to be happy about: “The people are friendly, the weather is good and it’s very pretty.”

Many people where she lives are farmer, growing crops like mangoes or bananas. Some things June would change are, she adds: “We have to go far to get clean water. I’d make sure everyone had clean water, so that they can study instead of collecting water.”

She lives at home with her parents and younger brother, who goes to the same school. Her parents own and work in a small clothes store. When they are busy at work she always helps with the chores like the cooking and cleaning.

As school, June is just as committed. She’s Head Girl, and fond of helping others:

I have to be an example to other children, by behaving well

In her spare time, June is always with her best friend Georgina; they discuss what they have not understood from class. They both love science and learning more about the human body. When she’s older she wants to become a neurosurgeon, to help sick people.  She says: “Since I came to Bridge, I have improved so much. I was not even getting 300 marks now I get over 300!”

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June is referring to the end of primary school exam—the KCPE. This is marked out of 500, with anyone scoring over 400 marks being in the top one per cent of all those who sat the exam in Kenya. Anything over 250 marks is a pass. In 2018, she sat her KCPE exam and scored 335 marks—making her eligible to attend secondary school.