Send 5 Youth to College

For many of the children growing up in Kibera, the idea of going to university seems as if it is about a world that belongs to someone else. Due to poverty the future can appear unclear and at times merely staying on in school becomes a real achievement. This year 10 young people who have walked with St. Vincent de Paul took a step which was going to change their lives by entering university in order to follow different career routes. As we saw them start this new phase, we were reminded that if a child is given an opportunity a difficult start need not turn into the whole story of their lives. With each of these 10 young people there is a dream, a struggle, a family and a future which now holds much greater possibilities.

We think that simply getting a child through high school is not sufficient. Education ought to provide a route to independence. A young person needs more than a certificate; they need specialized knowledge, practical skills, confidence and the chance to earn a decent living. That is why we are determined to support our young people after they have finished secondary school and to promote a variety of alternatives—such as university, technical and vocational training, the development of professional skills and entrepreneurship. We would like our children to have the ability both to seek out opportunities and to create them. A young person who acquires a skill, starts a small business, secures meaningful employment or builds a professional career is able to alter the course of their own life and that of the people who rely on them.

Our goal extends beyond simply having these ten student’s graduates; we would like to see them become independent. We hope that the young woman who at one time doubted whether she would get through school with confidence will one day enter her profession. We want to see the young man who had few opportunities in his youth go on to found a successful business and provide jobs for other people. We would like to see them become teachers, professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators, and mentors. And some day, when they have settled down, we hope they will remember the place where their journey started and reach back to assist another child who is at the beginning of their own journey. That is what we mean by the ripple effect of investing in one young person.

We would like to say thank you to each and every donor and partner who has contributed to making this journey possible, for having faith in potential even before it is visible. Your support does far more than simply help a student cover their university fees; it is helping to open a door that poverty might otherwise have kept shut. You are offering young people the opportunity to acquire knowledge, build their skills, follow their dreams and lead lives that are both dignified and independent. Today, ten young people are taking the next step; tomorrow they could become the professionals, entrepreneurs, employers and leaders who create opportunities for many others. Whenever you invest in a child, you are not only transforming that one individual's life—you are helping to plant a seed whose effects can extend to families, communities and generations afterwards. Thank you for helping us turn dreams into possibilities and then those possibilities into futures.