This is not a normal Daraja Academy update for me. In all honesty as the school has grown, I have written fewer and fewer updates for the website, even though it is something I truly love. However, after reflecting on the events of November 20th, 2012, I feel a deep need to do just that.
At 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 20, Daraja’s Form 4s sat for their business exam, the final of twenty exams. Two and a half hours later, Daraja’s teachers and administration convened outside Exam Room 5, and entered the room just as test administrators finished collecting the papers. “You’re done,” said the administrator, and a loud
Girls at Daraja were understandably nervous before their first KCSE exam on October 26, because a student’s KCSE score determines whether she will be eligible to attend university or college, and whether or not she receives government sponsorship (i.e. loan eligibility). Without at least a B+, students are not likely to receive monetary support from
“This test defines the life of a person after school in Kenya. That is unfortunately how the system here is designed. You can be exceptionally smart, but if you cannot perform on [the KCSE], it means nothing.” - Charles Mbuto, Dean of Academics What are the KCSEs, and why are they so important? KCSE stands for
400 people gathered at Daraja Saturday to give Form 4s encouragement for their remaining 18 KCSE exams. All Daraja girls woke early and were preparing for the day by 8:00 a.m., chopping vegetables and meat, washing dishes, mopping floors, sweeping dirt paths, and setting up chairs. Guests began arriving at 9:00, and girls waited by the gate
With just the Form 4s left on campus this week, campus life was split between studying, reviews, and gearing up for Bay to Breakers! Although Forms 1-3 left campus 2 weeks ago, the Form 4s stayed on campus for more examinations and tuition. "We stay on campus longer than the other forms for tuition. That
