Sponsor and Support Kenyan Students

At times there was no food for Irene and her siblings. Nine children and no food. Irene’s father died too young. Her mother kept the family of ten alive by selling snacks for a few coins to passers-by. Some days there were no buyers, and there were no coins. No coins and no food.

It seems like a miracle that Irene outperformed almost all of her classmates. She served in school government, she played on the volleyball team, she was known as kind, respectful, and disciplined. Also, she was exceptionally bright… and she was about to drop out of school. No coins.

That’s when Kenya Keys was able to step in. Thanks to support from donors and a very special sponsor, this exceptional student reported to high school. She thrived, but last year, Irene started experiencing strange symptoms. Her feet swelled and she became very sick. She was taken to the closest hospital and treated, but within days, she was rushed back to the hospital. Of course, Irene’s family was not in a position to pay such bills. If you wonder what kind of things fit in the category “Greatest Need” on the Kenya Keys online donation form, unexpected student medical expenses like Irene’s are on that list.

Earlier this year, we received word that Irene’s mother was in the hospital, diagnosed with breast cancer. Within the month, she was gone, leaving Irene and her eight siblings orphans. Why some children experience tragedy after tragedy in their young lives and others grow up relatively unscathed is a mystery only God could answer, but one thing that is consistent the world over is that in the face of unfathomable loss, compassionate people step up. Nothing can replace what Irene has lost, but the compassion of Kenya Keys supporters means that she will not be alone. Irene has a team of concerned adults - Joseph, Clemence, Kabani, Patrick, and other Kenya Keys staffers in Kenya make sure her physical needs are met, they check in with her medical situation, they review her grades, and early next year they will help her decide on a career path after high school graduation. The compassion of Kenya Keys supporters has wrapped a safety net around this young woman in mourning.

I am reminded of a quote I read recently, “Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person.” We see it every day. Irene’s life and hundreds of other Kenya Keys students’ lives have been transformed by your support. Thank you for changing their worlds.

It’s been years since Ananias’ parents died. He was in school then, the second of five children. Life was not easy – their home village of Matope is located in a drought-prone and impoverished area of Kenya where life requires a great deal of physical work – but they had each other, and that provided a tenuous sort of security.

After the funerals, a new reality set in as Ananias and his siblings adjusted to being orphans. They moved in with their maternal grandmother and survived off the assistance of uncles. Ananias dropped out of school after 8th grade, unable to afford the high school tuition that the government does not cover. He moved to the village of Taru to live with an uncle and look for manual work, hoping to send a few shillings back to his younger siblings.

In Taru, Ananias found other young adults, outcasts from high school for lack of fees but eager for the benefits of education. He also found an instructor teaching the Kenyan equivalent of a GED course. These non-traditional students sat in a hot, tin-roofed shed, learning chemistry, English, math, biology, history, and Swahili for five hours at a time, often with infants or toddlers playing near their young mothers. Class did not include a meal break, and no one had food to eat anyway, but students returned day after day, week after week. Ananias faithfully attended these classes for two years before he felt prepared to take the national high school competency exam.

Weeks later, the test results arrived. Ananias had done well enough to qualify for a vocational program at a local trade school. He applied and was accepted to Kinango Technical and Vocational Training College to pursue a course in electrical installation. But, once again, money was a problem. How could he afford to pay for school when he was barely making ends meet and trying to help pay his younger siblings’ school fees, too?

But something was in the works. One day during class, visitors arrived. Local staff members from Kenya Keys and their guests from the United States had been impressed with the group’s dedication and willingness to sacrifice for education. Soon, study books materialized, lunches appeared, and suddenly the sole teacher was joined by a team of three instructors. The group was able to move from the dirt floor of the hut to a location much more conducive to learning, and offers were made to help transport and house the students taking the two-week test in a distant town.

What’s more, Ananias was accepted as the first adult education student to be sponsored by Kenya Keys. After so much heartache and so many opportunities closed to him, Ananias will be able to attend college and have the opportunity to create a better life for himself and his family. His path required remarkable resilience and persistence, supported by hundreds of generous donors and supporters who make Kenya Keys a force for good in rural Kenya.

Through the generous donations of those U.S. guests and others, Kenya Keys provides four teachers for the Taru adult education group, along with a space to study, support with meals, study books, and supplies. When the national test is administered, Kenya Keys also covers test fees, transportation, food, and lodging during the two-week test for the group. It couldn’t happen without the support of caring people like you! Thank you for joining us to make a difference for Ananias, the adult education group, and hundreds of others. 

Links:

• Read how Kenya Keys helps students in need