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Naomi[/caption]Naomi is a 14 year old student in Class Eight. She is the oldest of 4 girls. Two of her sisters, Lydia (10) and Esther (9) attend Mawewa School. The youngest, Rahab, attends a different school. Naomi’s mother, Gladys, is a vegetable vendor and one of the suppliers of Mawewa School. Her father, Wilfred, is a Matatu (minibus taxi) driver.Naomi loves her family and speaks of them with great affection. She recognizes the great sacrifices her parents make to provide, and she talks about this with wisdom beyond her years. Therefore, Naomi willingly and gratefully looks after her sisters while her parents are at work.Naomi says that her parents constantly motivate the girls and help them with their studies. They even have a reward system to inspire their children to be disciplined. The family does regular devotions together and attends the local Jehovah Witness Church where she and her sisters sing in the choir.Naomi’s family is very musical. The three older girls participated in this year’s Kenya Music Festival: Naomi and Esther sang solos, and Lydia was part of the girls’ choir. She states that her mother sings too, but giggles when asked about her father.Naomi knows the camaraderie shared with her parents and sisters is not common among most families in Mathare. Her prayer is that this will not end, but they will grow much closer in the days and years ahead.Naomi is looking forward to high school. Her goal is to score over 380 points in her placement exams so that she might be accepted to the Pangani Girls School. She hopes to excel in high school and go on to university. Naomi would like to be a politician. She recognizes that the power to change the lives of people on a larger scale lies in governance.