Miriam Midega should have been in Grade 5 but along with her brother, Jasper, was out of school due to fees. Miriam and Jasper came to Church each week alone and once we found out they were not in school we did all we could to help. Then COVID hit. We have been helping the family with food and recently a sponsor was found for Miriam. We have taken Jasper into school without a sponsor, while we wait. We also discovered that Miriam was sleeping on the floor so we were able to buy her a bed, a happier young lady has never been seen!

Education for Life supports single mothers to allow them to find employment. One such family is Violet and her two daughters, Aisha, age 5, and Abijah, age 2. Through education sponsorship and supporting Aisha and Abijah’s Grandmother Violet is able to find employment. Without employment the whole family would struggle but with the help that Education for Life is able to give Violet, she is able to support her family now and into the future. Violet is secure in the knowledge that the education of her children is provided for and that they are being well cared for by the whole family.

Steven Ochieng is in Grade 12, waiting for his National Exams and Graduation in November this year. He is an orphan and has a sister who dropped out of school to work braiding hair. Steven stays with his grandmother in a room provided by Education for Life called Jiwe la Kuvukia (Stepping Stone). His grandmother sells Omena (small dried fish) so that they can get money to sustain their needs. Steven likes dancing and listening to music. Steven’s hope is that education will open doors to take a course in Computer Science after Graduation to fulfil his dream of running his own cybercafé.

Without sponsorship and extra help with accommodation and living costs Steven’s hope would just be a dream!

Davina a single mum with a 12 year old son, Kris. Through no fault of her own, Davina found herself looking after her son on her own. Without work, life is really tough. Davina would pick up whatever casual work she could just to put food on the table and pay school fees. Davina is part of our Church so would often tell us how she had spent all day out walking the streets selling small packets of margarine or food spices. Each packet would cost around 10 cents and if she didn't sell her daily quota she wouldn't get paid anything. Sponsorship has taken a huge weight off Davina's shoulders and given Kris peace of mind to study at Tumaini knowing that he has all he needs to succeed. Sponsorship is more than just education, it gives peace and security.

Brenda Kanyasi a young lady who arrived in Mombasa, unable to find work as she was unable to clear her Grade 12 fees and therefore refused Graduation. She volunteered in our Children’s Home, worked hard and for many people went unnoticed. But we noticed her! We saw her potential, especially because whenever we did a staff quiz or “out of the box” exercise she won!

We asked Brenda if she would help in the office. She agreed and enrolled in night school for a bridging course in Business Management. She passed with a good grade and later went on the study for a further 4 years, finally graduating with a Diploma in Business Management. Brenda is now our office manager and responsible to helping us with many of the people in our previous stories. We were able to give Brenda an opportunity because of support from our donors.

Victor Armstrong a young man who was afflicted with Polio as a child was living on the streets. The only way he found to support himself was selling face masks during COVID, but this income source has now finished. We rented a room for him and he started to attend our Church. We have seen him mature and as a vacancy came up for a security guard we were able to offer him a job. He is now self sufficient and sowing back into our community. Without grace and extra support Victor would have little chance of employment, together we can and are helping.

Mwema is a young lad who has learning difficulties and cannot cope in a normal school environment. He managed to complete his Primary Education (up to Grade 8) but could not score enough marks to go onto High School (Grades 9-12). We managed to get him a place at Mombasa School for the Physically Handicapped where he can learn practical skills like Painting and Decorating. He's now a Prefect and is coming out at the top of his class. He should graduate with some skills and most importantly a Grade 12 school leavers certificate. We have also seen a massive improvement in his interpersonal skills. Without sponsorship Mwema would have been cast aside and would have finished up on the streets and possibly lured into gang life.