“When my husband and I decided to sponsor a Secondary School student through KDEF, I had no idea that I would actually meet our student, James, face to face 3 years later.”

“Because I have received a secondary scholarship, I have a chance at a better life and a better future. Thanks to KDEF, my academic journey is progressing smoothly on a positive trajectory, and I have hopes of a bright future ahead.”

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me’”– Jim Valvano

During the day, KDEF sponsored students have to gather in one spot to access online learning platforms that are installed in the new smartphones we recently provided. Under the tree shown above you can connect to unsteady 3G internet. They have scheduled their time such that they can study and still help at home. It is a delicate balance that is not easy to strike. According to our Loipotwa, a form one student who also loves to play football, it takes great self-motivation and discipline to continue learning this season.

Mary Wanja does not know her real name. When she was abandoned at the age of three, she was left alone – without a tether, without a name to ground her to the world. She often wonders what her real name is and thinks about what her mother might have called her so long ago. No one knows exactly when she was born; the children’s officer wrote her birth certificate. She doesn’t know any of her relatives, or if she even has any.

If we were to color code each person we encounter in our lives, slip them into a mental folder labeled with the hue that harmonizes with their presence, the color for Cynthia Sameli would be bright yellow. The color of sunshine, sunflowers, the warmth of summer. This little girl is all of those things: a powerhouse of joy.

“KDEF came to build a future for us, my village mates especially women like me are thankful we can access water and education for our kids just within our village. We can now focus on building ourselves economically” Ntitei Lereari