Felix O.
Felix’s mother died in a car accident in 2002 and his father from an illness in 2004. His two younger siblings still live “up country” with their grandfather.
Felix is 20 years old and St Al’s Principal Kiambi Dionisio describes him as “a very intelligent and responsible young man.” Ms Jill Juma says that Felix is “polite and well organized, with very neat handwriting.”
When Felix was in his second year at St Al’s, his guardian decided to move back to rural Kenya and left Felix without a place to live. Fortunately, St Al’s has a “Social Need Program” which in rare circumstances, pays the living expenses of worthy students who are having difficulties finding a stable and safe guardian to live with. Felix lives peacefully with another St Al’s graduate named Peter. Felix sounds deeply grateful to the school for this special assistance.
Felix hopes to someday be in a position to “help other orphans of Kibera to achieve their ambitions, just as I have been helped.” Felix aspires to be an accountant or a teacher. “Or possibly both at once!” His favorite subjects are Business Education, Geography and Physics. He is an avid Chelsey soccer fan and enjoys reading, “especially news about what is happening in today’s world.” He admits to being very political aware of happenings in Kenyan politics and confesses to having a dream of some day also running for Parliament to represent the people of Kibera slum.
He says that St Al’s students have a “competitive environment, and one has to be serious in maintaining a strict study schedule.” He says his classmates are “disciplined and eager to learn because they are so grateful for this opportunity.” Felix playfully predicts that his graduation class will “raise the standard of performance for the school on the National Exams next year!”
He complements the teachers who are “qualified and ready to help students at any time.” He says that, “students here are formed not just in academics but with the maturity to cope with the world.” He’s grateful for the extra formation classes such as, “Education For Life” which helps prepare them with “critical thinking skills.”
Though he may never meet most of the benefactors to St Aloysius, Felix expresses his gratitude in this way; “Your money is not going to waste but helping real people who have real difficulties. By your sweat, we are being formed into Men and Women For Others!” He hopes that St Al’s graduates will be “people with good consciences, who love God and who can help improve Kenyan society.”
~ by Jim Collins, SJ
To learn more about and support St. Al’s, please visit the website http://www.sagnairobi.org/ or call 1-800-922-5327 at the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus - http://www.jesuits-chi.org/
