Meet our "chosen sisters".
Below are the stories of five absolutely amazing young girls from Kenya who have the potential to become even greater. As of now, we here at KUPATIA are working day and night to help them reach said potential by funding their schooling and basic needs. Now we know reading isn't much fun but if you take the time to get to know these young women like we have, you could be the change that they've been waiting for.
Angelicah Njeri Mwirua
She is 18 yrs of age and in Form 4 her last year of high school. She was raised by her grandmother who was struggling to raise her and two of her other siblings. Her mother was a single parent so she left them with their grandparent who has raised them since they were young. She has been to two other high schools which were day schools, but determined to succeed, she on her very own searched for a boarding school so that she could concentrate on her studies and she found Gichagi-ini Secondary School. She was determined to get better education and at the day school the financial burden resulted in her being sent home many times due to lack of tuition and the moments she was able to attend classes, the household work and working in the farm prevented her from being able to study and excel in her studies
Upon joining Gichagi-ini Secondary school she became the School Captain and was also the Football (Soccer) captain where they were 3rd in the entire Muranga County championship, something she is very proud of.
She decided to repeat Form 2 when she moved to this school to improve her performance, which improved, but as fate would have it, in Form 4 she has been sent home many times due to lack of tuition and unfortunately, she fell behind in her classes and her grades have suffered as a result.
She hopes to have a donor to sponsor her for the remainder of her high school education where she can concentrate and improve her grades with hopes of getting admitted to a university.
She would like to be an Accountant. She is full of life and a bright star
Lydiah Njeri Mwangi
She is 16 yrs and is in Form 2 (2nd year of high school). Tuition challenges have prevented Lydiah from continuous attendance which has greatly affected her performance. Her family is financially challenged so even basic things she needs in her class such as a calculator are close to impossible for her family to afford not to mention other requirements they are supposed to meet as boarding students such as proper school uniforms, books, and dormitory/housing items so many a times she goes without. Lydiah is a shy girl but she is determined to be a pilot
Jecinta Wambui Macharia
She is 18 years old, in Form 4 her last yr of high school. She is the fourth born in a family of six children, all girls. Her family was forced out of their home as result of the post election violence in Western Kenya in 2007/2008. They lost all their property and had to move into a rescue camp. They later moved to Nairobi where she enrolled in another elementary school. Her mother was challenged by the circumstances of raising young kids so much so that it became overwhelming for her; she would sometimes leave them with their grandmother and return over a long periods of time, forcing Jecinta to work odd jobs to find any money to support the family. She’s a hard working girl and although she joined high school late, she has been sent home many times due to lack of fees but she continues to work hard to improve her grades and wants to go to university to study Electrical Engineering.
Jennifer Njoki Nijhia
Stella Irene Njeri Nyambura
Sharon Wanjiru Gichinga
Karen Wangui Nganga
She is 15 years old, the second from a family of four kids. She is in Form 1 of her first year of high school. Jennifer is Jecinta's cousin and Jennifer later moved in with her aunty (Jecinta's mother). Jecinta's family helped raise her, along with their grandmother, despite limited funds. She loves to bake, draw and read books. Jennifer also loves kids and wants to be a pediatrician. She is smart, focused and determined to succeed.
She is 15 years old and in form 2. She is the first born of a family of 6 and was raised by a single mother. Her father passed away from a road accident when she was a newborn. As the first born, she feels the burden of her siblings who look up to her. She has a big caring heart and works hard in the farms to help her mother make ends meet; yet, they have no running tap water, electricity or basic amenities. She remains encouraged by her mother’s courage.
The earlier years of her life were extremely challenging as her mother would leave them with her grandmother and no one knew where she would run away to. She struggled and was helped somewhat by her aunty to pay for some school fees to keep her in school. Her mother came back into her life, but still struggles make ends meet.
Stella loves to read books and sing in school choirs. She is determined to succeed and wants to help others not suffer like she has had to face growing up. One day, she hopes to be a doctor.
Sharon was born Jan 14th, 2002, she’s an only child, whose father passed away when she was young and her mother ran away from hardships of life. Sharon was left behind with her grandmother and uncle. She doesn’t recall her mother as she left her at a very young age and aches for the love of a mother. She would like to be a journalist, loves music and composes her own songs. She sings of pain, rejection and the love of God and is determined to make something of herself. She hopes that one day her mother will see her on TV and return to her. As I listened to her sing you could see a spark through the pain in her eyes and you could feel the determination despite a difficult past. What a heart!
Karen is a shy girl, the 2nd child in a family of four kids, born July 30, 2000. Her parents are day laborers working in tea plantations and farms without much to support their children let alone educate them. She’s interested in the medical field and wants to pursue it as far as she can. She’s very athletic and loves to play soccer.