Benjamin, age 17, is one of the few teens able to attain a high school education in his village. Benjamin, along with his three brothers and one sister, are being raised by their single mother in Gongoni village in Kilifi County. This is a coastal region of Kenya where 72% of its population live in poverty. For Benjamin and the majority of Gongoni residents, every day is a struggle to obtain basics like food, water, and education.

As a sponsored child, Benjamin works extra hard to walk back and forth to school each day.  School activities start at 6:30am so he wakes up at 4:00am every school day to get ready to start the day. Classes begin at 8:00am with intermittent breaks and end at 4:00pm when he walks back home. Like their neighbors, Benjamin’s family does not have running water in their house so one of his daily chores after school is to walk to the nearest water point to fetch dirty water. He then uses that water to wash his school uniform so he can wear it again the following day. In addition to fetching water, he also helps his mother cook dinner. After dinner, Benjamin attends to his homework before finally going to bed at 11:00pm. To supplement the income from Benjamin’s sponsorship funds, their mother works as a day laborer to keep the family afloat. We are grateful to Tyndale House Foundation who has partnered with Tumaini to offer Benjamin a chance for education.

Benjamin’s story is emerging as a success! Compared to the other teenagers in his village, Benjamin is a privileged young man. He can attend school and most of his basic needs are met. Even more encouraging, Benjamin does much more than just go to school. On school holidays, Benjamin helps his mother on their small farm. He harvests coconuts and sells them in the nearby towns to help his mother put food on the table. He is an aspiring entrepreneur. For example, he purchases fish at a wholesale store in a nearby town and resells them to his neighbors. We are privileged to partner with a family like Benjamin’s and give them a hand-up to make it in life. Benjamin is looking forward to completing high school and joining a 4-year degree college or vocational training so that he can receive tools to give back, not just to his family, but indeed his village.

Thank you to everyone who has partnered with us to change the lives of thousands of vulnerable boys and girls like Benjamin. If you have not had the opportunity to sponsor a child, call us TODAY or go online and give a vulnerable boy or a girl hope for the future. Or prayerfully consider sponsoring one of Benjamin’s siblings who unfortunately, are not yet sponsored. Their names are Mary, Malach, and Ezekiel. Their mother struggles to keep them in school consistently and would very much appreciate help with their school fees.

Eternally grateful,

Stanley M. Mutunga
President and CEO