Friends make the world a better place, and what better place to make lasting friendships than in Moja Tu? The students in our program, though all unique in their own ways, share many commonalities. They all come from impoverished backgrounds and have a deep desire to pursue education and succeed in life. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that they all quickly bond and support each other in pursuit of their goals.
We recently sat down with Tabitha and Magdalene, best friends who are so close, one might even call them “soul sisters”, to learn more about how their deep friendship started and what they love about each other.
Magdalene is a second-year student at Kenyatta University, pursuing a Bachelor’s of Education. At the same time, Tabitha is also second-year student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, pursuing a Bachelor’s in Horticulture. They met in high school and were in the same class throughout their secondary school journey. At first, they were not close, but their bond grew stronger when they joined Moja Tu at the same time. They also spent a lot of time together at school and during holidays at Dream Children’s Home. The proximity inevitably led to a close friendship between the two girls.
When asked about their goals, they both said that they want to be successful in their respective careers and help break the cycle of poverty in their families.
“We hope and pray that our friendship will outlive the challenges that life will throw at us in the future,” they agreed.
Has being in different universities and pursuing separate careers affected their friendship? The girls answered with a resounding no. “We are intentional about meeting regularly and making use of social media channels such as WhatsApp to video call and message each other,” Magdalene says.
When asked what they like about each other, Magdalene said Tabitha is loving, caring, funny, and is always there to listen to her. “We also have a lot in common though we might express our differences in a few things, I think that that’s what makes us complement each other. To us, friendship is not being on the same page all the time, but being there for each other at all times regardless of the situation,” she added.
Tabitha said she likes Magdalene because she is emotional, loving, open, has her back and a good sense of humor. “I’m truly lucky to have her as her best friend,” she said.
When schools were closed to curb the spread of COVID-19 back in 2020, the two friends made it a point to safely visit each other in their respective homes. This companionship, they said, helped them deal with the anxiety that came with the pandemic. They finished by saying that Moja Tu has taught them that sometimes family isn’t just made up of people related to you by blood, but also by those who mean the most to you.