I was born and raised in Nairobi, and grew up in a lively home with three sisters and four brothers. I had a wonderful childhood with parents who taught us about God, and siblings who were a combination of the best teachers and playmates. We were not materially well off, but there was a wealth of love in our home. Growing up in my household shaped my beliefs, values and behavior, and was simply great fun.Though I was raised in a Christian home, it was not until shortly after I turned 11 years old that I made a personal commitment to become a follower of Christ. It is the best decision I ever made and was a significant turning point in my life.I started Kindergarten at the age of three and completed primary school seven years later. While in primary school, my talents were nurtured and developed. There was an extensive library at our school where I spent most of my free time reading. When I was eight years old, I received my first prize for performing the best among my classmates in English, and continued to top my class in the subject all the way to university.In addition to reading, I excelled in athletics and music. I was part of school track teams throughout my childhood and began participating as a singer in the Kenya National Music Festival at a young age. I mention these experiences to show how essential my school experience was not only in educating me, but also in building my confidence and providing opportunities to discover and develop my God-given talents.I joined eduKenya after almost eight years of working for Village Enterprise Fund, a nonprofit that gives micro grants to the rural poor in Kenya and Uganda. My passion for working with people living in abject poverty grew immensely during my time with VEF, as I saw first hand their challenges, assets, and most of all, their dignity. I realized that these people, who could be described as the “poorest of the poor,” needed to see their own capacities and assets, and believe that they could influence the outcome of their lives. In a word, they needed empowerment.I serve as the Kenya Administrative Director for eduKenya, overseeing daily program operations in coordination with our staff. I love what I do at eduKenya and could do it the rest of my days. The best part of my job is the teamwork we have as a staff, brainstorming and implementing ideas to improve the impact we have in the lives of children.Another staff member and I joke that our most important work begins after 5pm, when ideas start flowing on how to improve our work, such as ways to reduce administrative costs, improve the feeding program menu, approach businesses to request donated goods for the school and plan field trips to expose the children to life outside the slum. The questions at the back of mind are always, “What can I do to help the children develop and become the people God designed them to be? What opportunities can we give them that will open doors in the future?”

My family and education shaped who I am today. Many children at our school are not as privileged as I was growing up. My prayer for the children is that they may find in us a place where they are nurtured all around – spiritually, physically, emotionally and intellectually; that we would be family to each child and would be a channel of blessing and transformation to their families. My hope is that the children recognize the unique opportunity they have been given, make good use of it and one day come back and make a difference in the lives of impoverished children.