Nairobi's Still I Rise school students win award in Queen's competition

Two students from the Still I Rise International School of Nairobi, Kennedy Gakungu Kariuki and Reagan Ochieng, won the Bronze category in this year’s Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC), the world's oldest international schools’ writing contest, established in 1883.

Over 26,000 entries were sent to the QCEC this year, coming from Commonwealth countries across the globe.

The outline asked young participants to imagine themselves as grandparents, and tell their grandchildren a bedtime story about an inspirational historical figure.

All interested students from Still I Rise International School of Nairobi were offered the opportunity to take part in the competition.

Kennedy, 13 years old, chose Mahatma Gandhi, who “led India into freedom from the British” and “influenced Martin Luther King, so now Africans and Americans have equal rights”.

12-year-old Reagan focused on Nelson Mandela, “one of the greatest leaders to ever step on this Earth,” who “gave up his freedom for the good of his people”.

Reagan used his parent’s mobile phone to source information for the essay.

When the device ran out of battery and there was no internet connection available, his mother played a key role in keeping him motivated, recounts teacher Ezra. Reagan, in turn, helped Kennedy to complete his essay.

The success of the two students is another important recognition for the Still I Rise International school of Nairobi, already included by the organization T4 Education in the Top 10 shortlist for the World’s Best School Prize for Community Collaboration last summer.

Located in Mathare, one of the world’s largest slums, the school offers the IB pathway, a high-quality international curriculum, free of charge to children who live in conditions of high vulnerability.

“I encouraged the students not to feel belittled because of their background. It was amazing to see how determined they were to give their best and believe in themselves. ” said humanities teacher Ezra Akolo, who accompanied the children taking part in the contest in the preparatory journey.

Each year, entrants at the QCEC are tasked with producing an essay on a theme that explores an empathetic world view and encourages young people to consider new perspectives on the world's challenges.

The International School of Nairobi is the first in the world to offer the renowned International Baccalaureate pathway to children of underprivileged contexts, completely free of charge.

Around half of the enrolled students are refugees from RD Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Rwanda, the rest are Kenyans from vulnerable backgrounds.