Kenya

FOUNDED: 1998

GRADUATES: 2,725

Handow Secondary School was only partially constructed when WFWP adopted it and opened it in 1998. In 2003, the school was accredited as a public school by the government. The school started with only 35 students in 1998, and has since grown to 606 students in 2018. Handow is located in a village 300 miles north of the capital, a poor area with limited electricity and running water. Though the government implemented tuition-free policies in 2008, many families rely on Handow’s foster parents program, which covers the additional costs of education, such as books and uniforms, and allows their children to continue learning. The school is also able to offer a nutrition program for students to receive free lunches.

Graduates of Handow have gone on to attend universities and have become teachers, nurses, professors, engineers, accountants, and veterinarians. The PTA does its own fundraising to expand and maintain the school facilities. WFWP helps where they are lacking and contributes to the stable operation of the school.

In 2023, Handow ranked third in the graduation exam in Lugari District, Kakamega County. In 2024, with the support of the World Bank, a third science laboratory was established. The facilities have been renovated, new toilets have been installed in the boys’ dormitory, and a septic tank was installed.