Feed 200 Children Living in Kibera Slum

The new academic year kicked off in January and it’s always an exciting time for us as we get to welcome new students into our program. However, the excitement is always laced with a hint of sadness as we listen to stories of children who come to seek a place in our education program.

One notable story is that of Cynthia, Cynthia grew up in Nairobi and lived with the father. The father was a provider and this meant that Cynthia had access to education and everything she needed to lead a healthy life. Unfortunately, the father got badly injured during a robbery incident and got hospitalised for a long time. This one incident changed the life of Cynthia; her mother left, she dropped out of school and had to go live with the father at their rural home.

Out of school and with no one to support her, Cynthia’s hopes to have a healthy life appeared to be slowly fading, until her auntie paid them a visit. Moved with compassion, her auntie travelled back to Nairobi with Cynthia. However, her spouse did not support this move and Cynthia did not report to school as the year started, leaving her auntie distraught.

It is at this point that our paths crossed and Cynthia was brought for admission at our transition class. A few weeks into the term and she is slowly adjusting to being back to school. Her presence in school has had a ripple effect; her father can now rest easy knowing her daughter is back in school, her auntie no longer feels like she made the wrong move bringing Cynthia to Nairobi and since Cynthia is paying no school fees and receives two meals in school, her uncle who is a casual labourer doesn’t feel the strain of taking care of an extra child.

Stories like this are reminders of the impact we create through our programs and though Cynthia’s journey is just beginning, we already see the impact of hope restored.