Enrollment rises to 154 students at Hope Academy

All Hope Academy Students, June 2011

Over the past three years, since 2008 when Hope Academy first opened its doors to students in grade 8-10, we have seen stead enrollment. As of June 2011, enrollment stands at 154 students in grades eight to eleven i.e. form one to form four. Over 70% of our students are orphans – either have lost a father or mother or both parents. A number of them are child-headed family heads. It’s a very interesting mix of the student backgrounds. The majority of them come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Distance is another major challenge the kids face. Some students told me they have to wake up early and start walking to school by 5:00am so they can arrive at Hope slightly before 8:00pm. URF has previously attempted to address this problem by buying a few bicycles for the students but they were not enough. More are still needed. A bicycle used by two students costs about $70.