Return vulnerable children from Kibera to School

In Simon’s short life, there have been many life-altering changes. One change that transformed his life’s course was the loss of his mother, a single parent. As an orphan with no one to support his education, Simon spent a whole year out of school. One can only imagine how difficult that year must have been for him. Did his hopes of an education slowly dwindle off? Did he still have dreams of going to school and gaining an education that would change his life? One could only wonder.

The second significant change that Simon experienced was when his aunt took him and his sibling under her care. Determined to see his life change, Simon's aunt brought him to The Turning Point Trust in 2022, and he was accepted to join the Transition Programme in 2023; this was the third significant shift.

The Transition coordinator remembers Simon as a timid boy who scored below average in his first literacy and numeracy assessment. The year out of school had contributed to a great learning loss, and it seemed that he would take some time to settle into school. However, Simon lived to prove her wrong.

Eight months later, Simon is no longer the shy, timid boy with below-average grades. He is a thriving young boy who plays on the school football team, takes part in talent competitions such as the Kenya Music Festivals, and he scored well above average in his last assessment. Simon's hope is now awakened!

The privilege of being part of the stories of transformed lives and restored hope is one we don’t take for granted. Stories like that of Simon remind us why our work is important, and as we gear up to admit 35 out-of-school children for the 2024 cohort, we cannot wait to have life-changing encounters.