Empowering 37 Orphans Through Education in Kenya

During this season of thanks giving, we are pleased to provide this update on our project and express our deep appreciation to donors all over the world who have helped us raise 20% of our total monetary goal.  We could not have done this without your confidence and generous support!

It has been one year since we first launched our higher education project for the Nyumbani Village graduates, and the stories of lives changing for the better are slowly beginning to emerge.

This past week, the most recent class of high school graduates sat for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam.  Results of this test are released in February 2014, when students will learn to which tertiary level schools they become eligible to apply.  This group in particular has witnessed the opportunities of the first group of graduates from Nyumbani Village, and seen the results of students working hard to better their lives.  Having access to funds for higher education is critical for the motivated student with determination to keep him or herself out of poverty.

Agatha’s life was very challenging before she came to Nyumbani Village.  “After my parents passed away, we had financial problems.  I had been sent home for [lack of] school fees several times within a term, while the other students were in school taking their studies as usual.”  Agatha did not have reliable access to the provision of her basic needs once she lost her parents, and as a result, Nyumbani Village took her in.  “My life changed completely,” says Agatha. “Not only were my basic needs met and my high school fees paid, but I also got to meet other children who were orphaned from different tribes and backgrounds like me.”  At Nyumbani, Agatha had found a peer group sharing similar life circumstances and her hope for the future began to grow.  “I learned how to express myself confidently and feel proud” of who I am now, says Agatha. She goes on to say that “after completing my KSCE examination in 2012, I was able to join one of the public universities where I am pursuing a bachelor of science in Human Resource Management.  Nyumbani Village changed my life.”

We wish the very best to Agatha and her classmates as they travel this journey into adulthood, armed with an education that will enhance their lives and future opportunities.  Without our very generous friends around the globe, Nyumbani could not provide this opportunity for Agatha and her classmates.  There is no greater gift than education!  Thank you for your confidence in our mission.

Wishing you and yours every blessing for the holiday season!