Hope is a bright MOHI alumna from Mathare Valley in Nairobi, one of Kenya’s informal urban settlements. Her childhood was shaped by hunger, uncertainty, and the weight of growing up in a home where even basic necessities were never guaranteed. Her father worked sporadically at construction sites, and her mother stayed home to care for Hope and her younger sibling.
Everything became harder when her father was injured and unable to work. Suddenly, the family had no income and depended entirely on their grandmother to survive. “There were days we had food, and others when we went to bed hungry,” Hope recalls. As the eldest child, she carried the heartbreak of watching her sibling suffer.
Education, though deeply important to her, felt out of reach. School fees were often unaffordable, and long commutes meant she frequently walked home in the evenings because the family couldn’t spare the bus fare. At one point, she had been out of school for nearly a month.
But everything changed in 2013 when a MOHI social worker visited Hope's home. After hearing their story, he helped enroll Hope at MOHI in Grade 3. It was the beginning of a new chapter—one marked by stability, dignity, and hope.
For the first time, she had the essentials every child deserves: books, uniforms, meals, and even her very first pair of school shoes.
“I remember getting my first Bata shoes, and I was so happy. I had never worn real school shoes before,” she says with a smile.
|
" I had never worn real school shoes before. |
Two daily nutritious meals gave her the strength to learn, and her parents found peace knowing she was safe and cared for. During Christmas, her family received food baskets and gifts—simple provisions that carried deep meaning. “For us, those baskets meant we could celebrate Christmas like everyone else. It made me feel so special, like someone out there cared for me,” she shares.
At MOHI, Hope flourished—physically, academically, and spiritually. Staff invested in her growth. Daily devotions strengthened her faith. And her sponsor’s letters reminded her that she was seen, known, and valued. “I used to brag to my friends and say, ‘This paper isn’t from Kenya, it flew across the world!’” she says. Those messages remain among her most treasured possessions.
With MOHI’s support, Hope completed primary and secondary school. After high school, she joined MOHI’s MNARA program, which helps graduates prepare for life beyond secondary school, and later enrolled at the MOHI Technical Training Institute in Kariobangi to pursue a diploma in ICT.
Hope’s growth didn’t stop there. She earned certification as a CISCO instructor and now teaches computer skills to MOHI students at MOHI's Kiwandani Center in Kilifi. “When I look at my students, I see myself. I see a younger version of me. Teaching them doesn’t just make me happy—it gives me a deep sense of purpose,” she says.
|
" When I look at my students, I see myself. I see a younger version of me. |
Unlike her own childhood, these students now have access to computers and technology—opportunities she once could only dream about. And Hope is determined to help them build bright futures.
Today, her life has come full circle. She continues her ICT studies online while teaching full-time, and her family has also experienced transformation: her father now works as a truck driver, her mother is employed as a house manager, and her sibling is thriving in school. What was once a family defined by hardship is now marked by stability and hope.
Looking back, Hope beams with gratitude. “It’s amazing knowing that my sponsor, who didn’t even know me, chose to walk with me,” she says. “Because of that love and support, I am where I am today. And I am grateful to MOHI for allowing me a chance to hope and a certain future.”
|
" It's amazing knowing that my sponsor, who didn't even know me, chose to walk with me. |
Hope’s story is a beautiful picture of what happens when love, opportunity, and discipleship intersect. Because someone invested in her, she is now investing in others—her hope multiplying into the lives of hundreds of children who will follow after her.
You can be part of the next story like Hope’s.
Child sponsorship is one of the most powerful ways to transform a life, a family, and an entire community. When you sponsor a child, you help provide education, meals, medical care, and spiritual support—opening the door to possibilities they never thought were possible.
If you’d like to walk with a child the way Hope’s sponsor walked with her, we invite you to begin today.
Sponsor a child and invest in a future filled with hope.
Comments