Durante mi viaje por Kenia, tuve la oportunidad de pasar unos días en Kibera, el slum más grande de Nairobi, donde viven miles de personas en condiciones pésimas. Estuve en Kibera Hamlets dando clase a los niños y colaborando en diferentes actividades. Quedé impresionada con todo lo que hacen y la ilusión, las ganas y el esfuerzo que hacen para seguir adelante con lo poco que tienen. En Kibera hay muchas familias que no tienen dinero para pagar los costes de la escuela. Kibera Hamlets proporciona educación primaria gratuita para estas familias. Pero para continuar sus estudios tienen que ir a una escuela de educación secundaria, que no pueden pagar. Actualmente estas 11 chicas están  buscando a alguien que pueda pagar sus estudios. Durante mi estancia en la escuela estuve trabajando con ellas para hacer unas cartas y unos vídeos de presentación para que la gente pueda conocerlas. La educación secundaria son cuatro cursos y cada curso tiene un coste de 50000 shillings kenianos (menos de 450 euros anuales durante cuatro años). Esta sería la cantidad que el sponsor tendría que pagar para que una de las chicas pueda acabar sus estudios. El dinero se paga directamente a la escuela de secundaria por lo que el sponsor tiene la seguridad de que su dinero se está utilizando para los estudios y no para otros fines. Además, se tiene contacto directo con la chica por email para conocerla mejor y ver como progresa con la escuela. No se trata de “apadrinar” a una niña sino de darle una pequeña ayuda para que pueda ser independiente en el futuro.

Antes de conocer a las chicas recomiendo que leáis esta entrada donde explico mi experiencia en Kibera para entender mejor el contexto.

Si estáis interesados podéis contactar con el director de Kibera Hamlets, John Adoli (info@kiberahamlets.org) , que os resolverá todas la dudas que tengáis. Además, también os informará de cómo podéis colaborar en caso de querer hacer aportaciones más pequeñas que no cubran el coste escolar.

A continuación podéis conocer a cada una de las chicas. Debido a las condiciones en las que grabamos los vídeos hay mucho ruido de fondo y a veces es difícil entenderlas, pero si leéis primero la carta de presentación es más fácil seguirlas. Los textos son completamente personales y he copiado literalmente lo que cada una de ellas escribió.

Vane Mchuta

“My name is Vane Mchuta, I am 15 years old and I learn in Kibera Hamlets. I live with my aunt and she is very old but she struggles as she can to pay for the school fees. Sometimes I also decide to be absent during school days so that I can help my aunt to search for a job and get money which we can be provide with together with my siblings otherwise we may sleep hunger.

The reason why I decided to join this school is because it doesn’t cost much money like other schools. My aunt doesn’t have much money with which she can take me to high school so the one who helped my aunt is John because he saw how my aunt is suffering. So he helped her at least to make sure that I am continuing with my education. I really like it because without him I couldn’t be in school. When I will get a sponsor who will pay for me in boarding school I will be very happy and I will work hard in my studies without failing in my exams or being dizzy in class. I will put more effort so that my sponsor can be happy too for what I am doing. I will also improve my talents like dancing, playing football and singing. I really like to do this because I know it might help me in the ways like entertaining people as they take me to the other countries that I don’t know.

I want to achieve my goals after finishing high school and go to university where I will train for being a doctor. I am really interested in being a doctor and I will educate other people in dangers of dropping out of school and abusing of drugs, especially girls which are really suffering in Kibera slum.

Without forgetting my sponsor I will make sure that I have set up my email address with which I will be communicating with him/her and tell him/her how I am continuing with my studies. I will be doing this every month”

Patience Nyangasi

“My name is Patience Nyangasi. I am 14 years old and I live in Kibera slums, in Kenya. I live with my mother and my little sisters.

I am in Kibera Hamlets because other schools are very expensive and I could not afford that amount of school fees. In Kibera Hamlets is where I finished my Primary Education last year. But I am not in high school now because I cannot afford the school fees.

But even when I am not in school, I am not wasting my time, I usually do things concerning with theatre like acrobats, dances and many others.

It is so important for me to go to high school because I want to study for my career and get a job. I want to pay for my little sisters school fees and I want to change Kibera. I want to educate other girls in Kibera about life because some of them usually lose hope because of hard life they are going through. I want to be a role modeller to all girls in Kibera and I will never lose hope, I will keep on trying and trying

I want to study engineering and become an engineer who deals with machines.

If someone can sponsor me I will do all my best and work hard. I will always write to him/her an email on how I am going on with school.”

Rose Wanza

 “My name is Rose Wanza, I’m 14 years old and I live in Kibera. We are two in our family. I live with single parent. My father died long time ago, when I was in nursery school. My mother is not working because she didn’t go to school when she was young and this causes her not to get a job. Without education you are useless here in Kenya. I came to this school because it is quite affordable to my mother who is struggling a lot to get the money.

When I grow up I want to be a journalist. I want to be seen in the television every day and to know the problems that people are facing. If a sponsor helps me I will work hard at school to make sure that he/she is happy because of me.  I will help families who are suffering like the way I suffered. If I get a sponsor I will talk to him/her about my family life and I will be telling him/her how I am doing with my studies. I will communicate to him/her after every two weeks.

I like doing acrobatics and acting. I hope if you see it you will like it.”

Judith Anyango

“My name is Judith Anyango and I’m 15 years old. I was born in Kibera where I grew up. My life was not good from the beginning. When I got in class eight life was difficult because daddy had nothing to pay for my school fees. He struggled till he got my K.C.P.E (Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education) money.

I was so happy, but all happiness ended in vain because when I was going to sit for K.C.P.E is when my daddy passed away. Everything was very bad because I knew that no one was going to help me. He was the head of my family. I lost my hope.

I come from Kibera slums and I live with my whole family which are three brothers and one sister together with my mummy. All of them depend on her and she has no better job that she accepts house work. I decided to come to this school because Mr. John Adoli was a close friend to my daddy. Since when he was going to die he told John that he will be the one to take care of me about learning. My hobbies are dancing and acrobatics. I like them so much because is part of an exercise during my free time.

For me it is very important to go to high school so that I can continue with my studies and also achieve my goals. I will work hard on it, no playing during lessons in classroom. Through high school I can use my mind and be serious in it.

When I grow up I want to be a surgeon doctor, because that was my dream since I was a child and I’m sure that I will be by the grace of God.

If I work smart I will get a better job so that I can help my family go out of poverty and also the people who are going to sponsor me. I will be very thankful for what he/she will do to me as well as my family.

The main thing that I can say about me is that I am going to work extra-hard on my studies. I will not play to a person who have helped me to pay my fees. His/her money will not be wasted if I do not like going to school.

I need to promise that I will make sure that I finish my studies up to high school as well as university and I will pray to God to give his/her much more help on how to get money. I will pray so that no one comes across his/her job.

I will be communicating through letter writing so you can know if I am going to school or not, how I am participating in class and even in my exams. I will write to you at the end of each month so that I can encourage you, knowing your money is doing something to help me.”

Benjetrix Achieng

“My name is Benjetrix Achieng and I am fifteen years old. I live in Kibera. I stay with my mother. We were seven in our family but my father passed away when I was six years old. He died of tuberculosis (T.B). Then we remained with my mother. She had no job and sometimes she was washing for other people clothes so that she can earn money. Sometimes she was not going to work because she was suffering from malaria and chest cough. Sometimes we were not eating for three days so that she could save money to buy medicines. In my family we are three sisters and four brothers, but one brother died of anaemia and my sister from pneumonia. Sometimes my mother doesn’t have enough money to take them to hospital.

The reason why I am in this school is because it is affordable. Sometimes my mother cannot afford my fees, so it makes me not to attend classes. But when I attend classes I concentrate with my studies. But our principle (John) sometimes understands what we are going through. In our school there are some activities which I carry out. I am doing dance and poem. That helps me to improve my talent. But when I will get someone to pay my fees I will be happy because I will be now concentrating with my studies.

I would like to go to high school so that I may choose what I will like to do in the future. I would like to be a chef because I enjoy cooking.

My aim after school is to get a good job and help my brothers and sisters and make sure that when they are sick I buy for them medicines.

When you will come to our beautiful country I will take you to different places and I will take you to our home. I hope we will communicate through email address and letter writing.” 

Sarah Adhiambo

“My name is Sarah Adhiambo, I am 14 years old and I come from Kibera slums in Nairobi. In our family we are five in number of which I am the third born. I like singing and playing football.

I am in this school since it is affordable to my guardian. My guardian is jobless, thus cannot afford paying huge school fees in other schools.

I want to go to high school to ensure I bring change to my community, since I believe change starts with me. I hope by going to school I can widen my mind in terms of being valuable for the society. My aim after school is to be one of the lawyers in Kenya to ensure justice is prevailed in our country.

When I get a sponsor I will be happy because the sponsor decided to pay for me school fees and I will be able to continue with my studies so that I can achieve my dream in the future. When my sponsor takes me to the boarding school I will be happy because I want to continue with my studies up to university to get a good job.

My younger siblings expect me to take them to school. I am therefore focusing on my studies to ensure I excel in my final exam results. This will give me the soft ground and base to educate them. So that I can take my younger siblings to school is my aim after school.

I cannot forget the person who sponsored me because she helped me in my future. I will contact you through email address and by writing a letter.” 

Purity Mkavi

“I am Purity Mkavi, I am 15 years old and I live in Kibera slum. I learn in Kibera Hamlets. I live with my grandmother who is fifty nine years old. We are eight children and I am the seventh in my family. My parents died ten years ago. My father died because of HIV/AIDS and my mother died when she was giving birth to my small sister. From that day I have never seen my mother nor my father.

Now my grandmother struggle for us to get food and school fees. My elder brothers and sisters did not proceed with their studies because of lack of money. And now my grandmother struggles for me and my other sisters. I finished Primary by just struggling. I am in Kibera Hamlets because it is affordable. My hobbies are singing and dancing.

I would like to go to high school because I want to achieve my goals. When I grow up I would like to be a lawyer, help my friends and poor people and defend those who cannot be defended by themselves.

I promise that when I will go to high school I will do well in my studies. And I promise I will continue my studies until university. I also promise that if you come to Kenya I will show you my friends, my family and many things in my country. I promise I will be contacting you through email address.” 

Linnet Achieng

“My names are Linned Achieng and I am 15 years old. I live in Kibera in Nairobi. In my family we are 6 children, four girls and two boys. I stay with my sister. I started staying with her when I was six years old, after my parents had died on a road accident.

My sister couldn’t even manage to pay school fees for my elder brother because she was also a widow and she was also jobless. When my brother was at the middle of his high school he got a sponsor who paid for him the last years. Now he is a DJ, he is the one who can pay for my school because my sister is also sick and she can’t do any job because her life is not in good condition.

The reason why I am in this school is to nature my talent. I would like to be a DJ like my brother and help my family and people in the society. When I get a sponsor I will double my efforts in academics to achieve my goals. I will communicate to him or her through email or through letter writing.

I hope I will see you soon. Thank you.”

Sitna

“My name is Sitna, I am 15 years old and I live in Kibera, in Nairobi. We are seven in number in our family. We are a single parent family of which my mother is the one to struggle in order for us to get school fees.

Most of our family members are usually sick. Since we don’t have a mattress it forces us to sleep on the floor. Since I am the first born in our family it forces me to do labour work such as washing clothes and utensils of our neighbours in order to get some little money that can sustain my family members.

The reason why I am in Kibera Hamlets it’s because it is so affordable, my mother can afford it. It is so important for me to go to high school to learn the things which I don’t know. When I grow up I want to be a good chef, by working hard and believing in myself. My hobbies are playing football, dancing, doing acrobatics and singing.

I hope when you will come to see us one day you will share with me some ideas. I will update you through my e-mail address.” 

Lydia Khasiala

“My name is Lydia Khasiala, I am 14 years old and I live in Kibera slum. I am in school Kibera Hamlets and I am in class eight.

In our family we are five but in last two years my mother passed away and my big brothers could not continue with studies because of the lack of school fees.

I am in this school because according to what my brother is earning he cannot afford to pay other schools which are very expensive.

My hobbies are to play football and acrobatics. I like my hobbies because they take me to different countries, e.g. Uganda and Somalia.

It is important for me to go to high school because I would like to continue with my studies and then I will join university. When I grow up I would like to be a teacher because I would like to help people who are in the same situation like me.

If you sponsor me I will work hard and I will never let you down in my studies. I will be disciplined. I will explain to you how Kenya is, how I am going on at school and in what position I am without forgetting being kind to you, lovely and respectful.

We are going to communicate through email or contact every week.

Esther Nyanduko

“My name is Esther Nyanduko, I am fourteen years old and I live in Kibera, Nairobi. We are five children in our family and I am the first born. My parents died when a road accident occurred and now we are left orphans. We went to live with my aunt who didn’t have any work and that is why she brought me to this school Kibera Hamlets. She couldn’t pay for my school fees and feed us at the same time, that was going to be a big problem for her and for me. My hobbies are singing and dancing.

I would like to proceed to high school and even up to university because I want to be a better and important person in future. When I grow up I would like to be a teacher because I want to teach those who are around our village the secret of success and I don’t want them to suffer in their life.

When you sponsor me I will try all my best to achieve in future and I won’t fail you. You will be a good looking person for me. I will also make sure that I will build a school for helpless children in our country and also make sure that they are successful when all things happen.

I will explain whatever you will have done for me and whatever you will have helped me with. I will make sure that if you come to Kenya I will take care of you. I will tell you how I am doing in the school and even at home. We will talk more if we will meet. Now I would like to hear from you.”