By Sharon Akoth | Project Leader
While his classmates settled into their senior secondary school classrooms in February 2026, Abdi was spending his days at a nearby playground in one of Nairobi’s informal settlements, selling homemade ice popsicles. Despite scoring an impressive 54 out of 72 points in the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and earning admission to one of the country’s leading boys’ schools, Abdi could not report for school. His family simply could not afford the admission costs.
Rather than give up on his education, Abdi decided to take matters into his own hands. He began making and selling ice popsicles to help his mother raise the money needed for his school admission. He prepared the mixtures at home, relied on a neighbour to freeze them overnight, and spent the following day selling them at a nearby playground.
It was not an easy undertaking. Some days, his earnings were barely enough to buy food for the family. Nevertheless, he continued saving whatever he could. Through his determination and hard work, Abdi managed to raise KSh 700, one small sale at a time. Unfortunately, the amount required for admission was still far beyond what he could afford.
Behind Abdi’s struggle was a family facing years of financial hardship. He is the second-born in a family of eight children. In 2024, his father was diagnosed with diabetes, a condition that affected his ability to work and provide for the family. He eventually moved upcountry to stay with his mother while seeking casual employment.
Meanwhile, Abdi’s mother remained in Nairobi, doing everything possible to support her children. She collected shoes and clothes from traders in Eastleigh and sold them on commission, earning only a small profit from each sale. Some days, she walked long distances without making a single sale, often carrying her youngest child on her back as she searched for customers.
Having dropped out of school herself because of financial difficulties, Abdi’s mother understood the devastating consequences of losing an educational opportunity. She was determined not to see her son experience the same fate, but despite her efforts, raising the money for his admission remained impossible.
The family had previously received some assistance from relatives to support Abdi’s elder brother’s education. However, after contributing towards his schooling, the relatives could no longer afford to support another child. Although Abdi’s mother had occasionally relied on government bursaries to supplement the family’s contribution, these were never sufficient to meet all their educational needs.
Abdi had worked hard, earned his admission and was ready to pursue his dreams. Poverty, however, stood between him and the classroom.
By Sharon Akoth | Project Leader
By Alice Wangui | Project Leader
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
