Lucas O.
St. Al’s Graduation Class of 2010
Finding St. Al’s Was A Miracle!
It’s a life of hardship, but my brother works hard every day to put a meal on the table for all of us.” Lucas Ochieng lives in Kibera Slum with his older brother and sister. His 27 year old brother is married with two small children of his own, and his older sister is studying to become a primary school teacher.
His mother and her baby died in childbirth in 2002 when they lived in Western Kenya. His father had previously left the family and was living in Nairobi. The mother’s death “left the father bitter and mean so we don’t see him much.” Since the four children were depending on their mother, her death left the family “unstable.” They were forced to move in with their grandmother who was “quarrelsome” and verbally abused the children.
After finishing his primary school, Lucas was forced to stay out of school for one year, “because paying the school fees were too great a problem for my relatives. In fact, I had lost hope in school and had started farming.” He and his older brother were cultivating a small plot of tomatoes, cabbage and maize to sustain themselves.
Finally, Lucas heard about St Aloysius through his aunt who lives in Nairobi. “So finding St Al’s was a miracle.” “Without St Al’s, I would have no hope at all for an optimistic future.”
Lucas hopes to use this educational opportunity to become a land surveyor “because land disputes are a major cause of conflict in Kenya. A surveyor can be like a peacemaker.” With this career goal, it makes sense that his favorite subjects are Geography, Physics, Math and Christian Religious Education.
Lucas has a disarming smile and bright eyes. His classmates describe him as a joyful, playful, and disciplined student. His teacher, Jill Juma says, Lucas is “outgoing, has the academic curiosity to be engaged in his studies, and . . . is a bit of a playful comic in class!” He enjoys sports, especially volleyball. He claims that “it’s a fact!” that he’s the best volleyballer in the school because he can “jump very high and spike the ball hard.”
He describes the St Al’s teachers as “very qualified”. “The teachers really care for our quality education.” He lists several of his favorite teachers, “because of the kind approach they have.” He admits that, “I haven’t seen such good teachers in all my schooling.”
“At St Al’s I am learning love so that I can serve the community. I hope to give back to the community and duplicate our benefactors’ generosity.” He says that the benefactors are making the “greatest investment” because all of Kenya will benefit when “the orphans of the slum are educated. People will learn that there can be a hopeful life even if your parents have all passed away.” He concludes that establishing this free school in the Kibera slum is “the greatest idea I have ever witnessed!”
~ 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/
