Moja Tu’s primary mission is to provide educational scholarships to children from impoverished backgrounds. Sometimes, this means allowing siblings to chase their dreams unimpeded. This ultimately lessens the burden on their parents, who can then focus their energies on other equally important aspects of life.
One such family is the Kisakas, made up of siblings Esther, Alvin, and Charles.
Esther
Esther, a form four graduate, joined Moja Tu in 2016 when she was in form one. Her mum struggled to afford her school fees since she had no job, and Esther would always be sent home due to outstanding fees. Her consistent absence from school, in turn, greatly impacted her performance. When Kathy and other Moja Tu sponsors visited her high school, they asked the principal for a list of students with substantial fee balances, which included Esther’s name. Her school fees hadn’t been paid for two terms.
“That’s how I got sponsored. I was transferred to a better school, and my performance changed for the better. I took the KCSE early this year, and I passed. I will be joining university soon,” she explains.
Esther says that Moja Tu has changed her life and the lives of her brothers – Alvin and Charles – by giving them access to better education and hope for a better tomorrow. Her goal is to be the pillar of her family and help people in her community, just as Moja Tu has helped her.
“I would like to thank my sponsor Nakia, Kathy, and the whole Moja Tu family for all the support you’ve shown my siblings and I. Asante Sana.”
Alvin
Esther’s brother Alvin is a form four student at Stephjoy Boys High School. He joined Moja Tu in 2018 when he was in form one. He knew about Moja Tu through his sister, who had already been sponsored and was in a good school by this time. So he followed in her footsteps, applied for the sponsorship, and was quickly picked up by a sponsor through the program.
“Moja Tu has lessened my parents’ burden of paying for our school fees, especially since there are many children in our family,” he says.
Alvin will be sitting for his KCSE next year in March, and he aspires to join a good university and pursue a degree in civil engineering or IT. He hopes to become successful and break the chain of poverty in his family and community. His motivation to achieve his goal is his family and Moja Tu, and he hopes to make everyone proud.
“I would like to appreciate my sponsors, Abbey and James, and Moja Tu in general for walking with me and for helping me in my journey to achieving my dreams. Being a part of Moja Tu has given me a sense of belonging, and that’s the thing that I love most about Moja Tu,” he reveals.
Charles
Charles, the younger brother of Esther and Alvin, is a form three student at Graceland Boys High School. He joined Moja Tu in 2018 when he was about to enter form one. Having watched his two older siblings find success through the program, Charles also applied for the sponsorship, hoping to get a chance that could change his life. Happily, he was also given the opportunity to continue his schooling with the help of a sponsor. He was delighted to join the Moja Tu family and happier still since he was in the program with his siblings.
His aspiration in life is to be an accountant and help his siblings break the cycle of poverty in his family. He also wants to help others in his community, a virtue he has picked from the program.
“I would like to thank my sponsors, Gareth and Jessica, and Moja Tu. Thank you for the support and love,” he says.