Nakuru Safehouse for Kenya Women and Children

Jane grew up in a family of seventeen kids (yes 17). Her father had two wives. Her mum, the 2^nd wife had 9 kids. Her stepmother had 8.
She started school when she was 6, however, her mother, who struggled to feed her family by working as a casual farm laborer for less than $2.00 a day when work was available during planting and harvest season, struggled to pay Jane's school fees as her father gave no support. Jane feels as though she was raised by a single parent. For her mother, affording food was not easy and she remembers her and her siblings going without a meal often during her childhood. 

While still in primary school Jane became pregnant. Fearing that her dad would kill her and beat her mother, she ran away. Jane stayed with her aunt until she gave birth. After her son was born her aunt revealed her secret to her father, as the family didn't know if she was alive or dead. A year later she returned to her village and convinced her mother to take care of her son while she went back to school. In African society, when a girl gives birth out of wedlock, that's the end of her education. Usually, she's forced to marry a much older man. Fortunately for Jane, her father was out of the district at the time of her return to her village. Her dad certainly didn’t understand her desire to continue her education. He started beating her mother, saying that she was making a business (prostitution) out of his daughter. Her mother faced difficulties, but stood firmly with her daughter, insisting that she at least complete her primary school education.
In 2013 Jane sat for her final primary school exams. She then worked as a house girl for 6 months to save enough money to pay for school fees and books for Form One. Life was not easy as a young mother and first-year high school student. She would go to school, and in the evening go to a farm to plant vegetables to support her family. During the holidays she worked as a house girl to earn fees for the next term.
In 2014 she went to Nairobi to live with her uncle, who promised to pay her school fees. During the day she went to school. However, in the evening she functioned as a house girl, working late into the evening as her uncle's unpaid help.
By the 2016 third term, her uncle felt that she should stay at home without going to school and be his full-time house girl, believing that it was a waste of money education a single mother. She started looking for laundry jobs, found a woman who would pay her $1.40 a day, worked for 6 weeks, and saved the 5,000K/-,  $50.00 to pay her school fees.
Her first job after high school graduation was in Nairobi as a house girl. Needing to earn more money to send home, her 2nd job was as a waitress. However, after 3 months of receiving no salary, she had to resign. She then found a job as a waitress in a small restaurant. She was able to earn enough money to rent a small iron sheet house in the sprawling slum area of Nairobi for $5.00 US. a month and become independent. Not unlike many bright, hardworking young women such as Jane, this was beginning to appear to be the future of struggle, poverty, and hardship that would be Jane's life.In July 2019 Jane was accepted into our free, one-year vocational training course at Kijiji Mission.

Jane recalls the life-changing day she received the phone call informing her that she had been accepted into our program.   

"I can't wait to experience every amazing opportunity this
life-changing course has to offer me. This is a dream come true!"

Some of Jane's assignments. 

We're so proud of you Jane for your hard work, determination, and commitment to your personal success,
and your love, and dedication to your family. 

Hi Everyone,

Meet Susan, one of our recent graduates.

Susan is the 3rd born in a family of four. She didn’t have the opportunity to meet her father, who died when she was very young. Susan was 3 years old when her mother passes away in 2001 after a short illness, forcing Susan and her siblings to live with their 80-year-old maternal grandmother in the Nyamurutu slums. Her maternal aunt and her oldest sister are the ones who supported her with school fees in high school. 

Susan achieved high grades in school, however, after completing her secondary schooling her grandmother was not in a position to pay her college fees. Susan stayed at home for two years with little prospect of following her passion for learning fashion and design. Susan was very grateful when she was offered the opportunity to join Springs of Hope Foundations, Kijiji Mission Center in Nakuru on 5th October 2020, starting her new journey of studying the design and dressmaking one year course that we offer to help our needy girls attain a skill for their future, enabling them to earn a living.

We are often approached by outside organizations, offering our students special projects. One such example is the Rotary Club of Nakuru, which asked the students to sew reusable sanitary napkins to be given to high school girls within the community. These projects are wonderful for our students on many different levels. They help improve their speed and accuracy, while also giving them a huge sense of pride and confidence as they earn enough money to pay for their own sewing machine and a little seed money upon graduation.

Last week Susan left our center after being offered a job opportunity in a town known as Olkalou, at Quito Fashions Ltd, to work on piece work to which her sewing machine, paid for with the money earned while doing small projects while living with us, will be of great help.

Earlier this week we celebrated the International Day Of The Girl. We wish Susan, who now joins our alumni of young women who have become part of our huge Kijiji Mission family of successful young women over the years all the best in the future, you have made Kijiji Mission proud.

Again, we want to thank you for all of your support over the years, to be able to provide hope and a future to so many women who couldn't have possibly dreamed of having either is truly a blessing. You have made a tremendous difference in so many women's lives, including ours!

Thank you again,

Jennifer Hughes-Bystrom

Founder/CEO

Springs of Hope Foundation

(We've changed the student's name to protect her privacy)

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