Primary level:
1. Sprewell (Rangala Boys primary school)
Sprewell moved to class five in the above school in 2014. He and their other siblings are in the same school and the parents are working hard to ensure that they all aces education. Through the support of one child and business development support, Sprewell’s mother has improved the quality of life of her family. They are able to access basic needs such as clothing, food, healthcare, education and reasonable shelter.
His mother Naomi continues to improve her business by diversifying her products and other businesses. She is a beneficiary of business services in the program me; a factor which has enabled her to improve her way of doing business and hence expand. His father is a casual labourer within the industries in Nairobi and does all types of jobs which come his way. These jobs are not regular and sometimes he may go for weeks without any job. The average family income is kshs.23, 000 per month.
2. June (St. Alloys FP academy)
June joined the project in 2010 in class two and was in class six in 2014. A second born in a family of four, they live in one of the slums in the eastern part of Nairobi called Mukuru. His mother still operate small businesses within the estate while the father is a mechanic in one of the garages within the informal sector in Nairobi. The mother sells different products during different periods depending on what is in demand, e.g. fruits, vegetables, second hand clothes and sometimes dry fish. The mother is a beneficiary of business development services including credit which she pays back very well. June’s parents both struggle to fend for the children in whichever way they can. The father gets part time jobs to improve family earnings. This he does by identifying individual vehicle owners and repairing their vehicles at a place of their choice. Their average family income is kshs.20,000 per month. The family has managed to keep other children in school because of improved standard of life.
3. Yvonne (Unity Primary school)
Yvonne joined the project in September 2014 when she was in class seven. She is a third born in a family of five. The first two siblings sat for KCPE but never had a chance to pursue secondary education due to financial constraints. The elder brother is learning mechanics on the job in a garage which belongs to an uncle while her second born sisters sells vegetables with the mother. They both dropped out of school at primary level due to financial constraints. This was the same predicament which Yvonne was going to face after standard eight which she joined in January 2014. Yvonne and her other siblings are bright children but poverty is reducing them to academic dwarfs; a very unfortunate scenario.
Yvonne’s mother sells fruits and vegetables in a temporary structure in the road side within Nairobi; a business she has been running for over fifteen years. This business has been the main source of livelihood for her family even though the father sometimes gets small casual jobs to do. Average family income is kshs. 20,000 per month.
4. Mitchell (Kwoyo Kowe Primary school)
Mitchell joined the project in 2010 while she was in class three. In 2014 she was in class seven and continues to struggle despite the health and economic challenges in their family. Her mother now struggles alone to take care of the family following the demise of her husband in 2013. She operates different small businesses to fend for the family. Like many other micro entrepreneurs the businesses change depending on what is in demand. Her case is however different since she can operate vigorous businesses due to her health. But she tries to do the much she can. The unsold stock of foodstuff is not wasted but used to supplement food for the family in addition to the mothers’ allowance. Their average family income is kshs.12, 000 per month.
5. Kate (St. Teresa’s Girls Primary School):
Kate was in class eight in the same school in 2014 where she sat for KCPE and got 324 points out of a possible 500. She was lucky to get admission to one of the best provincial schools in Nairobi called Ngara Girls High School. Her consistent performance over the years has earned her a place in a good school and we can only hope that she will maintain the same spirit in her academic life. Kate’s mother still operate small businesses among them vegetables and fruits, charcoal, paraffin, dry fish, second hand cloths and sometimes she supplies cooked food in construction sites. These are businesses she operates at different times depending on the demand for the commodities. She has been getting business loans from the loan fund to develop her businesses. This has improved the performance of her businesses and increased her income to kshs.22, 000 per month. The unsold stock of foodstuff which would otherwise go to waste is used by the family and this reduces family expenses on food.
Secondary schools
6. Kelly (Kabaa High School):
Kelly joined Kabaa High School in 2014 after completing primary education the year before. A second born in a family of three, Kelly’s academic performance has always been above average. His mother still operate a wide range of businesses based on what is viable at different times. The businesses include vegetables second hand clothes, and general merchandize commonly referred to as ‘malimali’. The father is not in any regular employment and does small jobs which come his way such as carrying luggage in factories just like many other Kenyan job seekers do.
Kelly’s mother is a very aggressive entrepreneur who is always on the lookout for business opportunities to undertake. Her monthly average income has improved to kshs.22, 000. This together with the monthly allowance of kshs.2, 500 has enabled the family to lead a better life and keep other siblings in school. The unsold foodstuff is used to supplement household food. The father also contributes whenever he finds a job to do.
7. Brian (Nairobi School)
Brian Emmanuel Okoth joined the project in September/2013 when he was in standard eight. He passed very well and joined a National school in 2014. Being the promising child he has always been, he has shown exemplary performance in the new school during his first year in secondary school. Nairobi school is a National school and competition is quite stiff. For a child to be among the top ten performers is very encouraging and promising. His grades can be seen in the performance table in the report.
His mother sells vegetables and fruits for the family upkeep. Her average income from these businesses is kshs.15, 000 per month. The father is a casual laborer and occasionally finds small jobs in the city. The job is not regular and this means he has sometimes to go without employment. Brian is a role model to his other siblings and every child aspires to be like him. He is the reason his mother struggles to ensure that every child can read and write.
8. Felix (Ambira High School)
Felix also joined the project in class eight in 2013 and proceeded to form one in 2014. A fifth born in a family of six, he is promising despite the difficulties in the family. His performance in the new school in 2014 was above average and we hope he is going to maintain this trend. Felix’s mother still sell vegetables and fruits among other businesses for their daily livelihood. Her average income from these businesses is kshs.17, 000 per month. The father is a casual laborer and occasionally get small jobs in the city’s industrial area. Income from these jobs is used to top up family expenses. During the period when he does not have any job, the family depends on the business for upkeep. The older children often help their mother in the business and household chores. The younger children are in school too. At least his mother struggles to ensure that every child gets basic education. His progress reports are attached to the report.
9. Brian (Muranga High School)
Brian Irungu joined form one in the above school in 2014. He is yet another promising student as can be seen in his progress report. He scores mostly A’s B’s in all the subjects; an indication of good results to be expected in the final exams. A second born in a family of three, he is the most promising child in academic performance. He joined a very competitive school but still manages to score very good grades. His mother sells second hand clothes even though she has incorporated new cloths which she buys from wholesalers within Nairobi. The incorporation of new cloths in her business has boosted it leading to an increase in family income. Her average income from these businesses is kshs.18, 000 per month. The father is not employed and often help his mother in the business.
10. Brian (Apwoyo Secondary school)
Brian moved to form two in the above school in 2014. Brian is generally a air performer in academics. Brian and the other siblings live in Mathare where his mother runs a vegetable selling business.Their average monthly income from the business is kshs. 12,000. Brian and their other siblings live under difficult circumstances and this could be one of the reasons for poor performance. We however continue to encourage him to work harder.
11. Mary (Rarakwa secondary school):
Mary is another student who is struggling to push through with her education. She was in form three in the above school in 2014. A first born in a family of three, she continues to struggle to perform at school though she has challenges. In the past, she had been transferred to different schools to see if change of environment and teaching standards could help her to improve. We continue urging her to work hard so that she can improve her grades. Her family lives in Mathare valley where they operate different businesses to fend for the family. Mary’s other two sisters are also in school and the parents are able to take care of their education needs.
12. Mary (Huruma Girls’ school):
Mary was in form three in the above school in 2014. She is another average student in her academic performance as can be seen in her progress report. Her mother still runs different businesses such as knitting and sewing girls’ dresses. She is also running a poultry business which she relocated to a wider space in the outskirts of Nairobi. Income from these activities support her family and provide school fees for the rest of the children. Average income for the family is kshs.23, 000 per month which is proof that Mary’s mother has been making good use of the loan fund at her disposal to improve her business. Whenever she gets tenders to supply sweaters to schools, she often ask for a short term working capital which she pays within a short time.
13. Martin (Mbiini Secondary School)
Martin joined form three in the above school in 2014. He is very lucky to have found this chance to pursue education. Being an orphan living with an aunt who can barely afford to take her children to school, sending Martin to secondary school would have been a tall order. In fact one of the aunt’s daughters sat for KCPE last year and passed but she has not been able to take her to form one until now. She started her own dressmaking business which has not picked up very well. Textile business is a very competitive sector both locally and internationally and making a breakthrough is not easy. She therefore sell fruits as well to supplement income.
14. Laureen (Ngara Girls Sec. School)
Laureen was in form three in the above school in 2014. The school is among the best Provincial schools in Nairobi and we expect her to do well. Her mother runs a small hairdressing business and most of the customers come to her house for hair do. Recently she incorporated other beauty products as she expanded her business. The mother is quite skilled in hair dressing which she does at home and sometimes when she is called upon by those who own hair dressing and beauty salons. Occasionally she gets small jobs in industrial area as well. She combines income from the different activities for their upkeep. Average income in the family is kshs. 17, 000 per month. This, together with monthly allowance of kshs.2, 500 forms total family income.
15. Victoria (Ngiya Girls’ Secondary school):
Victoria was in form four in the above school in 2014. She sat for the KCSE and attained grade B plain. With this grade she is sure of getting a place in one of the public Universities this year. Due to her hard work and endurance, she has gained another step in the economic ladder.
Victoria’s mother is equally very hard working in her small business and has managed to keep the other brothers and sisters in school. She makes an average income of kshs.20, 000 per month. This together with the monthly allowance of kshs.2, 500 and husband’s occasional income is the basis of the family’s livelihood. Victoria is a source of pride in the family a show case to her other siblings who are equally working hard at school. Her success has inspired her parents to work hard and offer their other children the opportunity to go to school.
16. Nelly ( Ngiya Girls Secondary School)
Nelly is a first born in a family of four. She also sat for KCSE in 2014 and obtained grade B plain. Just as in the case of Victoria, she stands a chance to get a place in one of the public Universities within the year. Earlier on Nelly did not show much seriousness in her studies though she had the potential. Persistent talks and counselling during holidays seems to have challenged her to work harder leading to the good grades.
Nelly’s mother operates a grains selling business for a living. The father is not on regular employment and occasionally gets casual jobs within Nairobi. Nelly’s mother now makes an average of kshs.22, 000 per month from the business. Her income has improved in the recent past like many other mothers in the programme. This has been facilitated by loans which they easily access from SEED Trust at the right time to boost their businesses. It is unlike loans from mainstream microfinance institutions which takes longer time to be processed and sometimes comes too late to rescue the business. Nelly’s mother has been able to educate her other children who are still in Primary school since the main burden of secondary school has been carried by the project.
17. Crispin (Barding Secondary School)
Chrispin also sat for KCSE in 2014 and scored A minus. He has posted very good grades which is a clear ticket to the University. Chrispine has made his family and many others very proud by obtaining the second highest grade in KCPE. He has been steadfast in his studies and for him, the sky could be the limit.
His mother is working so hard in her business and has been able to fend for the family and keep other siblings in school. She sells grains, vegetables and sometimes second hand cloths. She keeps diversifying her business and improving it as time goes by. Her average income is now kshs.20, 000 per month. This income has been consistently growing due to support from SEED Trust loan fund and business skills training.
18. Robert (Agoro Sare Secondary School)
Robert is another student who sat for the KCSE in 2014 and passed very well. He also managed to get grade A minus just like Chrispine. The grade guarantees him a place at the Public Universities and this gives him hope for a better future. Robert is greatly admired by members of his family some of whom did not get a chance to get secondary education.
His mother runs a business of second hand cloths and also does hair dressing. The father does panel beating in the informal sector and together they join hands to bring up the family. Family average income is now kshs.22, 000 per month; both from the business and occasional wages paid to the husband.
Robert’s mother is another beneficiary of the micro credit facility offered by SEED Trust and has greatly improved her business performance. She gets business loans and pays promptly enabling her to access repeat loans.
19. Lilian (Nyakach Girls’ Secondary school)
Lilian also sat for KCSE in 2014 and got a B-minus, a grade which can enable her to pursue a course in a middle level college. She is a celebrity in her own way having been born in a family of eight where none of the older brothers and sisters ever got to secondary school. They live in Mathare with their mother who is a widow. A part from the brothers and sisters, there are three grandchildren still under the care of her mother. Lillian’s mother operates small businesses which include vegetables, dry fish and sometimes second hand cloths. These are businesses she has been running from the time she got married in the early seventies. The average income from these activities is now kshs.18, 000 per month.
20. George (Hono Secondary School):
George also sat for KCSE and scored grade D+. George has all along been struggling with education. His performance has not been so outstanding and many a times we held discussions with him and his step mother. He is one child who has been brought up without parents following the death of her mother several years ago. His father later passed away in 2011 and he has been living with a step mother.
George’s step mother runs small businesses as a source of livelihood. She has her own five children to take care of with an average income of kshs.16, 000 per month and additional monthly allowance of kshs.2, 500 from the school kids project. Life is quite tough in this family.
21. Ann (Jogoo road sec. school)
Ann sat for KCPE in 2014 and scored a C-minus. She is another student who has been struggling to get good grades at school. Her mother runs different businesses including bag making, textile in Nairobi. The father is unemployed but occasionally gets casual jobs to do. Anne’s brothers are also in school and their school fee is mainly paid from the proceeds of the business activities. Now that Ann is supported by the project, the parents have a slightly lesser burden to carry with regard to their children’s education. On average the family earns kshs.17, 000 per month and also gets the monthly allowance of kshs.2, 500. The mother is a beneficiary of the micro credit facility in the programme and is gradually growing her business through credit and business skills training.
22. Charity (Icaciri Secondary School)
Charity sat for KCSE in 2014 and scored a C+. With this grade she will identify a course in one of the middle level colleges to pursue. Charity was more promising during her secondary education and we expected higher grades than she got. She still lives under the care of her old grandmother who is now approaching ninety years but still going strong. A fourth born in a family of five, they all live with their grandmother who sells vegetables. Her other siblings often help their grandmother in the business. She also spends time in the business when schools are closed. Average income from the business is kshs.15, 000 per month. Most of Charity’s brothers and sisters did not go beyond primary level due to lack of school fees save for one brother who was lucky and got scholarship for his education.
College students
23. Loise (SEKU- South East Kenya University)
Loise was offered the opportunity to join SEKU for her university education in environmental science in 2013 after scoring A-minus. The intake was however postponed to January 2014 when she finally joined. Even though she had aspired to do medicine, she was not selected to do this course. The selection is usually done by a University board who assign courses to those who have been selected to join Public Universities. Loise has gone against all odds and proved that anyone can achieve his/her dream irrespective of where they come from. All one needs is to remain focused and work hard. She is a first born in a family of four. Her father passed away in December 2000 when they were quite young with a jobless mother who had also dropped out of school after class eight. Their mother has since brought them up single handedly. Since then she has been taking care of her children by running small businesses. Loise has great potential in academics and with this kind of support, the sky is the limit. Her mother sells cloths and also does hairdressing for a livelihood and makes an average of kshs.20,000 per month.
24. Brian ( University of Kabianga)
Brian is a second year student in the above University taking a degree course in business management. He is progressing well and his mother is quite hopeful that God willing, Brian may soon assist her in educating other children. She still sell vegetables, fruits and sometimes second hand cloths for their livelihood. Her average income from these businesses is kshs.18, 000 per month. She is a beneficiary of the micro credit in the programme and has greatly improved her business. The father is a casual laborer who occasionally find small jobs in the city’s industrial area and earns about Kshs.8, 000 per month. The job is not regular and this means he has to go without employment sometimes. The other children are in school too and they all live together in one of the informal settlement areas called Kyambio in the eastern part of Nairobi. It is very clear that Brian and his brothers and sisters would not have gone this far with their education were it not for the Project’s intervention. Taking Brian into the project created the opportunity for the parents to concentrate on the other children who are equally pursuing their education.
25. Brenda (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and technology)
Brenda is in the third year of her University education taking a Bachelor of commerce course at the above institution. Her concentration is finance. She has been getting good grades and is likely to get good results at the end of the course. She had gone for internship for three months from December 2014 and will resume classes in May this year.
Brenda’s mother still operate small businesses while the father does casual jobs. These include vegetable selling, dry grains, second hand clothes and sometimes dry fish. Her average income from the business is kshs.18, 000 per month thanks to the loans from SEED Trust. It is supplemented with the monthly allowance of kshs.2, 500. Most of the time she puts the monthly allowance into working capital to boost her business. She has improved her business and has good repayment records. Her business keeps growing as she diversifies her products and expands her market.
26. Rosemary (MTC) – Embu Medical Training college:
Rosemary Completed her nursing course in September 2014 and was replaced by Yvonne Njeri who was among those in the waiting list. Upon completion she got temporary employment in a dispensary in a town out of Nairobi called Naivasha. This was an opportunity for her to gain experience in preparation for the task ahead. A first born in a family of four Rosemary hopes to support their younger siblings once she gets a stable job. Wambui’s mother runs a vegetable selling business and sometimes gets second hand clothes and re-sells. The father is a casual laborer who does any manual work that comes his way to supplement family income. Occasionally he gets jobs in the construction sites. The average income earned in this family from all the activities is Kshs.22, 000.This is what they use to provide basic needs and education for other siblings. Her mother is a beneficiary of the microcredit within SEED Trust which has worked well for her hence improved standard of life.