Friday, May 31, 2019

Joseph and Peter graduate in style!

Joseph Th'iongo and Peter Gathoga used to be street boys (difficult to imagine looking at the photos!).

We rescued them from a life of poverty on the streets, gave them a place at our Sunshine Centre, and arranged for them to go back to school.

Both boys were good with their hands, so after leaving school we enrolled them at polytechnic to learn to be welders. 

They worked hard, learned their trade and passed the national exams. The photo shows them receiving their awards on graduation day.

But their story gets better. Both boys have been employed as welders by Francis Kamau, one of our Sunshine 'old boys' who now runs a successful welding business in Nairobi. 

Monday, May 13, 2019

Dan is digging for success


Dan’s mother died while he was still at primary school. 

With no-one to look after him, his aunt Gladys looked after him while he was in high school and our partners Education for Life provided him with accommodation when he finished school in 2015.

His grades were not high, and he survived by doing odd jobs. His talent for music meant that he became the regular keyboard player at church, but of course that couldn’t earn him a living!

Dan met us during our trustees visit in February, explaining how he needed a skill to enable him to get a decent job. 

After some discussion, we agreed to fund a course for him to train as a construction machinery operator which should enable him to get a job in Kenya’s booming construction industry when he qualifies.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Brian earns his place at polytechnic

Brian is an orphaned boy who Footsteps has supported for several years. 

During our trustees visit in February, Brian's foster mother Lucy told us how Brian had been doing casual work since he left school. Although he hadn't earned a huge amount, Lucy was delighted that Brian had given her some of his earnings to help the family budget!

However, Brian was keen to learn a proper trade, and, impressed by the fact that Brian was already trying to help himself, Footsteps offered to fund his plumbing course at Naivasha Technical Training Institute.

The photo shows him with Anne Mwaura who will be supervising him as he acquires the skills that will help him find permanent wage-earning employment.