Sponsor and Support Kenyan Students

Almost a quarter of Kenyan girls are married before their 18th birthday, the legal age to marry in Kenya. Bright, effervescent, and talented Kenya Keys student Emmaculate would likely have been one of them. Girls from impoverished homes are twice as likely to marry under the age of 18 as girls from higher income households; Emmaculate has a tight-knit family, but her father’s seasonal work as a waiter is hardly enough to feed and house their family of five, plus his aging parents and his siblings, as well. In a society where girls are often seen as an economic burden, Emmaculate was at risk.

When Kenya Keys began sponsoring girls like Emmaculate almost two decades ago, it was clear that marriage in rural Kenya carried a heavy burden for young women. High school-aged girls were often forced into arranged or polygamous marriages with much older men. Without education, these teen girls worked endless hours at physically demanding tasks, often with an infant strapped to their back. We have seen some girls chose that life, considering their other option slow starvation - the heartbreaking reality of true poverty - but one girl described it as “the life of a dog”, and wept at the thought of it happening to her.

Instead, Emmaculate recently sent a thank you video to her Kenya Keys sponsor. “I will be praying for you every day. I love you so much!” she gushed. Education shields girls like Emmaculate, and she does not take it for granted. One schoolday, Emmaculate’s primary school teacher didn’t show up. She was unwilling to waste the day, so she stood up and taught the class. She actually knows her stuff. Emmaculate was one of the top scorers in her school.

Indeed, as Kenya Keys has become a light of hope for the students in southeast Kenya, the attitude toward girls seems to have shifted in the area. Rather than a drain on resources, daughters with the chance of education and employment are increasingly being seen as potentially significant economic contributers to their families.

Emmaculate is hardworking and kind. She dreams of being a surgeon or a teacher when she finishes school, and of helping her family out of poverty. It would have been impossible, but thanks to the support of her beloved sponsor and Kenya Keys, this charming girl who sparkled in her drama and music club, who gleefully jumped into the swimming hole, and treasured every novel she touched, this girl has a chance. “I’m so happy,” she told her sponsor. “Thanks for sponsoring me!”

Thank you for making all the difference for hundreds of girls who cherish the opportunity to stay in school and use their minds to transform themselves, their family, and their community.