By Sherry Waweru | Impact Assessment Officer and Project Leader
Maureen’s story…
Maureen and her 3 siblings did not have an easy life growing up in Kibera, one of the biggest slums in East and Central Africa. Life in the city slum was short lived after her father lost his job and the family moved back to the village on their small plot of land where they grew just enough food to feed themselves, hardly making ends meet. Maureen went to the local primary school and though she completed her primary education, she had no chance of joining high school as her parents could not afford to pay school fees. She was forced to help her mother in the farm, as this was the only source of livelihood for the family. For two years she lived in the village, Maureen was frustrated as she would see her former classmates going to high school while she continued to work on the farm or engage in menial jobs to earn a little income for the family.
Life in the village proved difficult for her and she pleaded with her parents to allow her go back with her older sister in Nairobi to look for casual jobs. They agreed and Maureen’s sister helped her secure house help job in one of the city suburbs where she worked for 3 years. Due to challenges she faced in the hands of employers, she left work and opted to get married and start a family at the age of 19 since she did not want to go back to the village.
Maureen was introduced to Seed of Hope programme by a friend and enrolled for a one year Homecare Management Course. At the weekend, she sells snacks to her neighbours but also does outside catering to generate extra income for her family’s upkeep. When asked how seed of Hope has changed her life she said “I am happy to have joined Seed of Hope because my dreams were shattered and I thought getting married will solve my problems but now I know that it is through the skills I have learned that will make my life much better. I also have confidence that will enable me to raise the living standards of my family.” Maureen plans to open a small café with the support of her husband and sisters after completing her course.
Other news…
In other news the second year students of dressmaking, fashion and fabric design course sat for their grade 3 test and are preparing for grade 2 in August from the National Industrial Training Authority. The government grade test is very important as it builds the students profile as they can advance their skills in any of the government technical training institutions but also get employed in the textile industries and fashion companies in Kenya. There is hope for each and every girl or young mother who joins Seed of Hope as it is not only the technical skills that they take back but their confidence is built and they are motivated to grow and advance in their studies.
Thank you…
All this would not be possible without your generous giving towards Seed of Hope. This project has made it possible for a young mother like Maureen and many other girls to build confidence, raise their self-esteem and have the opportunity for a prosperous and promising future.
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