This is where we cook. We make a fire on the ground. I collect water when it rains with the yellow container.
My name is Faith Wanjiru. I come from Nairutia, Kenya. It is a dry place. Crops can’t grow. We lack water for everything, even to drink.
When I was in class 3, in primary school, my father died. We were only left with my mother. We felt as if we had no hope.
To me, my life was very hard. Since we were very poor, we could not afford everything that we wanted, like food and shoes and story books. Our family was 9 in number. The little my mum got, she used to pay school fees. But it was not enough. Sometimes, we were sent away from school to go home and get fees. They did not care that we had to walk long distances to return home. We walked hungry. We cried.
Most of the time, we went without shoes. At church, children would laugh at us. We ate little food because my Mum had no job. We would stay the whole day without eating.
Mr Mugo is tracing my foot so I can get shoes. It is a very exciting day for me!
We would work in the shamba (the farm where we tried to grow crops). That made our hands to become rough. I never thought that my life would be better. Our house was made of mud. We would share one bedroom. The house had three small rooms with dirt floors.
We would wear tattered clothes. Children born of rich parents would tease and look down upon us. Hunger threatened to suffocate us. Our villagers feasted on all types of food. We would coil into our mud house.
As days passed, my family members lost all hope and people thought of nothing concerning our future. We were so humiliated each painful moment we saw other children going to school when we were at home. In the morning, we could hardly afford a cup of sugarless millet porridge.
During my first term of class four, we were in the play ground at school. It was a dry field with wild brush and thorns. My mom came running. She could hardly breathe. She was calling our names, “Francis. Faith.” We also started running and we followed her for a long distance to Father Maina’s house. Michelle was there with Mr Mugo. I never saw her before. She was a mzungu. I stood with Francis. We were breathing hard and sweating. We always felt ashamed for our bare feet and tattered clothes. Michelle did not mind them. She was kind and loving. She asked me a lot of questions.
Her good friends were there too.
Here I am with my very own glue and a beautiful school uniform. I could never imagine this was possible!
This is when my life changed. I was helped by Matanya’s Hope. I got a sponsor named Lisa. Francis got a sponsor named Tina. We were helped a lot since then! They bought us uniforms and shoes. They took us to a good school. They love us. I really thank God for that. It was like a miracle happened in my life through God’s grace.
Thank you Matanya’s Hope for your kindness and your love. Now I am in class 8. I will not let you down. I will learn well so I can become somebody and help others as you have helped me. You have lifted me from nowhere to somewhere.
Faith Wanjiru Kimingi
This is me and my best friend Rose. Matanya’s Hope has changed our lives!
