In October, Kenya celebrated Mashujaa Day. Loosely translated, ashujaais a hero. To many students, Kathy Kempff – Moja Tu’s founder and Executive Director – is their hero. She gave them a second chance at education, at life. The students had a few words to say about her, and here is a compilation.
Samuel
Bachelor of Radiography
“Moja Tu has given us a podium to follow our dreams through education. To many students, Moja Tu is more than an organization that has given us scholarships; we are one huge family, and we see each other as brothers and sisters. We have made lifetime bonds here. And Kathy, God bless her! She has made us believe that we are worthy. Some of us have had difficult childhood experiences, and it took her believing in us enough to invest in us to undo the damage. She has taught us to be fearless and to believe in ourselves,” Samuel.
Angela
Medical Engineering
“There was a point in my life when I had a mental breakdown – a lot had happened. I had lost my mum, and I was getting a lot of pressure from school. I was on the verge of quitting school
despite being sponsored. Things were happening too fast around me, and I just wanted the world to stop or slow down a bit, and that wasn’t happening. Around that time, Kathy and other board members and sponsors visited Kenya, and when I saw her, I just broke down. I was tired of pretending I was ok; I was tired of being strong. I couldn’t hold back my tears, and she came and hugged me. It was all I needed to get back to my feet. She is one of my strong support systems, and I know I can always turn to her in good and bad times,” Angela.
Agnes
Bachelor of Actuarial Science
“I have never met a person with a bigger heart than Kathy’s. To say that she is phenomenal is an understatement. She would have just decided to sponsor one child, but look at what she did! We are over 250, and she knows each one of us by name. Then, us being the children and teenagers that we are, we err so much. But she corrects us with love and continuously assures us of how much she cares for us. She never gives up on us. I always imagine her knocking on different doors in the US for our sake, which motivates me always to work hard and do the right thing. We love her so much!” Agnes.
Johnstone
Bachelor of Education
“I am privileged to have been sponsored by Moja Tu. Every day is a learning day for us in the program. Kathy has taught us the value of kindness, treating people with respect and showing them that they matter. We do have a smart mom. Although we get sad at the thought of leaving the program someday and transition as alumni, we can get to say we left positively impacted, transformed, educated, loved, and empowered to chase after our dreams,” Johnstone.