Watoto Wasome

As we continue the journey of onboarding our Cohort 9 Benificiaries, we remain committed to reaching students who have already lost hope of joining school. Our model intentionally waits until the school term has already begun when most students have already reported so that we can identify those who have truly been left behind due to lack of means.

It is through this process that we came across the story of Tau. During our due diligence visit, we found Tau seated quietly outside his home, watching his mother wash clothes for neighbors. This small job of washing customers’ clothes is often the only way she earns a few coins to buy a meal for the day. The clothes belonged to a neighbor who trusted Tau’s mother to do a good job, as she always had.

But Tau was not simply passing time while waiting for food, In reality, he was counting days. He was counting the days since his former classmates had joined Grade 10. Days slowly turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Midterm came and went. His friends returned home briefly during the break, excitedly sharing stories about their new schools. For Tau, these moments were painful reminders of what he had missed. Many times, he chose to hide from them.

Yet despite the circumstances, his dream remained alive. Tau had performed exceptionally well in his KJSEA 2025 examinations, scoring 68 out of 72 points and earning admission to the High School. However, without the financial means to report, the opportunity slipped away as the school term continued.

A few weeks before the end of Term One, Tau was still praying for just one chance to step into a classroom. Tau’s family lives in an unfinished house that still appears to be under construction. Inside the structure there is no bed, only a worn-out mattress that has clearly seen better days. The building belongs to someone who allowed them to stay temporarily as caretakers until construction is completed.

Tau’s Mother expressed deep gratitude for this arrangement, as it relieved her from the heavy burden of paying rent, a struggle that had previously forced her to sell some of their household belongings just to survive.

As we sat with them in the small room and began asking questions, we slowly came to understand the depth of Tau’s determination. Tau is the last-born in a family of five children. Unfortunately, the path taken by his older siblings has been difficult. The first three siblings dropped out of school while still in primary school. Today, two of them struggle with drug and substance abuse, spending their days with other young men in the area drinking alcohol instead of working. The third sibling, a girl, has largely disappeared from the family’s life and is only occasionally reported to have been seen in different locations.

This painful reality weighs heavily on Tau. One of his greatest fears is following the same path.That fear is also what fuels his determination to remain in school. His greatest inspiration, however, is his immediate elder brother, Musa.

Musa sat for KCPE in 2022, scoring an impressive 409 marks. During his primary school years, a compassionate school director recognized his potential and sponsored his education. However, after completing primary school, Musa too was unable to join high school due to financial constraints.

In a remarkable act of generosity, the same school director later ensured that Musa joined High Schoolin the middle of the first term and supported his tuition fees for all four years.

Even then, the journey was not easy. Musa often struggled to afford transportation from School to his home and from home to school. At one point, he missed returning to school after midterm because he lacked bus fare. When his class teacher realized he had not reported back, she reached out to parents through their class WhatsApp group. Together, they raised money to facilitate his transport and support his basic needs.

Eventually, the teacher went even further and took Musa into her own home. Musa stayed with her until he completed his high school education.

By the grace of God, Musa sat for his KCSE examinations last year and scored an A– (80 points).

Today, Musa is living in with one of his former high school classmates while searching for scholarship opportunities to pursue university education.

It was Musa who recently reached out to his former teacher to explain the distress his younger brother Tau was experiencing back home.

Tau’s dream is simple yet powerful: he wants the same opportunity his brother received. Having heard countless stories about High School from Musa, he believes education is his path to a different future, one that will allow him to rise above the cycles of poverty, drugs, and lost potential that have affected many young people in his community.

At Affecto Foundation, we believe that no child should lose their future simply because of circumstances beyond their control. Tau’s story is exactly why theAffecto Foundation Program exists to identify and support students who have the potential but have already given up hope of joining school.

This work is only possible because of the unwavering support of GlobalGiving and the incredible community of Friends of Affecto Foundation around the world. Your generosity allows us to find these students, restore hope, and give them the chance to pursue their education and transform their futures.

On behalf of Tau, his family, and many other students whose lives are being changed through this program, we extend our deepest gratitude.