Today we share the dreams of Susan, the mother of a student who attends eduKenya's Kwa Watoto school. Susan has limited education and works as a day laborer washing clothes. She shares her dream of starting a small business to earn a better income. As a mother, her dreams are rooted in a desire to provide a better life for her children.Susan experiences many challenges as a result of income insecurity and living in a slum. We are thankful that she has hope for the future and bold dreams for her family. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.” Join us today in praying that Susan continues to be sustained by hope as she courageously pursues her dreams. Pray also that Susan is able to participate in eduKenya's skills training program, as she desires to learn new income generating skills.[caption id="attachment_308" align="alignleft" width="225"]

Susan[/caption]Susan: I am Susan, the mother of two sons. I am 37 years old and married. I was born in Nairobi and attended school in the Mathare slum. However, due to financial challenges my schooling was very limited. I did not make it to secondary school.I came to know the Lord in 2001 and have never regretted that decision. My family and I live in Mathare and attend a church there for spiritual nourishment.Due to the limitation of my education, I have experienced little formal employment. The one time it happened was with a flower company. I have had no choice but to do manual jobs that I find day to day. The most frequent one is washing clothes for families that need that help. My husband is also informally employed as a mason. He also earns his wages on a daily basis.But I have dreams. I do not stop dreaming. I hope for a better tomorrow and a brighter future for myself. My dream is to have a secure source of income, whether it is from a formal job or a small business I start. I am not blind to the challenges that stand in the way of this dream. When it comes to formal employment, my education stands in the way. When it comes to running a business, having capital to start is the main problem. From the small amount that I get paid from washing clothes and doing other odd jobs, I am saving little by little in hopes to start a small business selling second hand clothes, utensils and other nonperishable goods.In all things I give thanks to God, for He has brought me this far. Many people my age in Mathare have lost their lives in different ways. But I am alive and that is a testimony. I truly thank God for my life and pray that with the education my children get at Kwa Watoto School, there will be an even brighter and longer life for them. I dream that their education will allow them to get good jobs that provide for their needs.Tomorrow we conclude the "I Have a Dream" series with a reflection about the dreams of eduKenya by Bob Kikuyu, eduKenya Co-Founder and Kenya Executive Director.