Maurine will remember the moment she graduated from university, a moment she never thought would come. As she stands proud in her cap and gown, she is overflowing with gratitude for her loving and supportive sponsors who believed in her. Without sponsorship, opportunities like this may not have been within reach.
Maurine grew up in a humble home in a rural village in western Kenya. Both of her parents worked as casual labourers.
“As the only girl in her family, she faced cultural and financial barriers that often threatened her dream of education,” says Sister Jane, Starehe site director. “Her elder brother had to drop out of school, and Maurine feared she might be next.”
Nonetheless, she didn’t let her worries interfere with her studies. She graduated from Grade 8 with exceptional marks, and, on the recommendation of her local chief, pastor, and head teacher, she earned admission to Starehe Girls Centre. Starehe is a world-class boarding school for academically gifted young women who hail from underprivileged homes.
“I was happy,” says Maurine. “The happiness extended to my family, too. They were very happy that I was going to join such a big school.”
Her family, however, could not afford the tuition. “But who is God?” asks Maurine. “He sent Chalice my way.”
With her sponsor’s support, “I had a stress-free life in high school. They made me concentrate and focus on the goal of completing high school and passing well. Indeed, with God’s help, Chalice’s support, and the Starehe Girls fraternity, my family back at home, I passed well.”
At Starehe, “Maurine was able to pursue her education without the constant fear of being sent home,” says Sister Jane. She set her sights on university and never looked back. When she graduated, she pursued a degree in food science and technology at Nairobi University. She is grateful that her sponsor continued to support her throughout the three-year program
Her university graduation “brought joy to my heart and those of my family members and the whole village back at home.” Everyone came out for a cake and a party.
Today, 26-year-old Maurine works in quality control at a farm, “a role that marks the realization of a dream that once seemed out of reach.”
“This is possible now because someone believed in me,” Maurine says. “Thank you for doing a very good work making people realize their dreams. Continue their good work, and may the good Lord continue to bless you as you continue to do good in this world.”
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