Greetings from Nyeri!
Hello and praise the Lord. We thank you for your continued support and partnership as we bring hope to the community in Nyeri through the love of Jesus. It was a wonderful last term of the year and we would like to share some of the highlights with you.
Bobby Olang Atanga
Head Teacher, Nyeri
Hope Transforms: A Success Story
Meet Joan, a bright and determined young girl in Grade 5 at the Nyeri Center. Hailing from Witemere village, Joan comes from a single-parent household with three siblings. Her older sister dropped out of school after becoming pregnant, and her younger siblings were also not yet enrolled in school when Joan joined our center.
Our social worker first encountered Joan while conducting a routine home visit in Witemere. Joan was hanging out with a group of school dropouts, a concerning sign. Further investigation revealed that she had previously attended one of our centers in Nairobi but had withdrawn after her parents split up and they relocated to Nyeri.
Joan's mother, overwhelmed by life's challenges, seemed to have lost hope. She had no plans for her children's education and struggled to provide even basic necessities. The social worker engaged with Joan, who expressed a strong desire to return to school. With the support of the school chaplain, a meeting was arranged with Joan's mother.
During the meeting, the mother admitted her lack of knowledge about the school's readmission process and her financial difficulties. She agreed to seek employment and to support Joan's education. The chaplain offered financial assistance to Joan and her mother while they got back on their own two feet.
Since then, Joan has made significant progress. She attends school regularly, is an active member of her church's youth ministry, and excels academically. Her mother has secured a job on a coffee farm, enabling her to provide for her family and pay for basic needs. Joan's younger siblings have also enrolled in school after Joan.
This gave Joan's mother great courage to carry on and make a new life for herself despite all the curveballs life has thrown at her. She has also become an active member of the women's ministry where she has found community and is encouraged to keep going. She is now determined to make a better life for herself and her children here in Nyeri.
As for Joan, her dream is to become a nurse. With continued support and dedication, she is well on her way to achieving her goals.
*Name changed for privacy
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