Ruffi joined the Moja Tu program during its inception in 2013, and she is now a proud alumnus. Born with a hearing impairment and faced with the tragedy of losing her parents at an early age, she was rescued and placed at a children’s home where she was able to receive the primary school special education she needed. Before joining Moja Tu, Ruffi lost hope that she would ever attend high school.
Lucky for her, Moja Tu heard about her case and intervened. This was a life-changing opportunity for her.
“I joined Moja Tu when I was in eighth grade. I was very excited to be part of the few students that were selected as I knew it would change my life,” she recalls.
Through the Moja Tu program, Ruffi was able to go to high school, and after high school, she joined the Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deaf. The Karen Institute is a leader in Kenya and East Africa that offers special care and education to those with a hearing impairment. In 2017, she enrolled for her certificate course in food production. One of the merits of the school is that they accept hearing students as well as deaf students in their course programs. This unique opportunity helped Ruffi learn critical interaction skills with both hearing and deaf students, which will be invaluable as she moves into the job market.
Currently, she is working as a chef at Export Processing Zones (EPZ), one of the largest textile firms in Kenya that makes clothing for some well-known clothing brands.
“After completing my course, I was lucky to get hired as a professional chef with EPZ. I can now support myself and this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Moja Tu,” says Ruffi.
Getting an education significantly changed Ruffi’s life. Once she discovered her passion for cooking, there was no looking back. Other Moja Tu students were also taking similar courses in the program, allowing her to benefit from the additional peer-to-peer mentorship. Most importantly, having a sponsor who believed in her made her feel confident and loved, and she’s made lifelong friendships along her journey.
“One of the things that I love about Moja Tu is that they not only provided me with an education but also became my support system. I was able to form a connection with my sponsor and make friends that have become family,” she says.
Ruffi is living her dream and hopes to use her skills to make a difference in her community. The power of just one is changing lives every day, and we are excited to see Ruffi’s life transformed with her success.