My Story

My Home Life: I am the first-born in my family, with two younger brothers. At home, I help with collecting firewood, fetching water from the well, washing dishes, doing garden work, and keeping our house and compound clean.

We started living with our paternal grandmother, Nangobi Zulaika, after our parents separated and our mother abandoned us and left the village. My father was mugged and nearly beaten to death by robbers who stole his boda boda, which had been his only source of income. After recovering from head injuries, he developed a mental illness and has since been unable to support us.

Our grandmother works hard to care for us. She does casual labor in the village—working in people’s gardens and doing laundry for others. For example, she can work from morning until noon in a garden for an entire week and earn only 10,000 shillings (about $2.85), or earn 5,000 to 6,000 shillings ($1.43–$1.71) for doing laundry. The little she earns is used to meet all our basic needs and try to keep us in school, but it is not enough.

That is why I am kindly seeking your support—to help me continue my education and pursue my goals in life.