Lydia M.

Lydia M. is a 15-year-old girl in Grade 8 at Kathaayoni Primary School. She lives with her mother and sister in Katheka, Tala, in a two-room Mud house while the brother has a separate room. Lydia’s mother is the sole breadwinner of the family after her father died in April 2023. She works as a peasant farmer, earning 16 euros per month, which is barely enough to meet the family’s needs and support Lydia’s education. Lydia is the family’s hope, especially after her eldest brother dropped out of school in Grade 8 due to insufficient funds, and her second eldest sister dropped out of school in Grade 6 due to a mental challenge that affected her ability to comprehend lessons. Despite these challenges, Lydia remains cheerful and hopeful for the future. Sponsoring her education would empower her to achieve her dreams, change her family’s narrative, and contribute positively to the society.

Trizah K

Trizah is a 6 year old girl in PP2. She is the first born in a family of two children. She lives with the grandmother in Bangladesh Slums. The mother gave birth to Trizah while in Form Three. She opted to continue with School and left Trizah with her mother. The grandmother is the sole bread winner of the family. She has a small business in the slum where she cooks food for sale. She makes a profit of around 2.5 Euros which all goes to food.

 They have a double decker’s in both rooms and Trizah shares the lower double decker with the grandmother as her aunt sleeps on the upper decker. If Trizah is assisted, she will be able to achieve her dream of becoming an Engineer.

Ibrahim S.

Ibrahim is 4 year old boy who lives in Bangladesh Slum in Rongai. He is the third born in a family of three. Ibrahim lives with his mother along with his brother Nathaniel in a wooden single-room house. Ibrahim joined school in the play group stage two months ago. His mother is living with HIV and Aids which she contracted four years ago. The family shares one bed where all the four of them sleep.  The rent of the house is around 6 Euros a month, excluding electricity. Ibrahims’s mother got a man who supported her during the time she received the news of her medical status. The man is a drunkard and is of no help financially, making Ibrahim’s mother the breadwinner of the family. The mother does any type of casual work that is available. Recently she developed a conditioned of convulsing which has made it harder to get job opportunities. The family is needy and if assisted Ibrahim will be able to get an education and help his mother and brothers in future.

Trevor W.

Trevor is a four-year-old boy who is in Baby Class in Okoka Primary School in Bangladesh, Rongai. He is energetic and hopeful for the future. Trevor is the third born in a family of three boys. The mother is a drunkard in Bangladesh Slum and the children stay with a grandmother who is also a drunkard.

The family lives in a single iron sheet house paying a house rent of an average of 5 Euros monthly and pays an electricity bill of 3 euros per month. The water is supplied for free in the slum by the County government of Nairobi. The grandmother who is the sole bread winner used to farm in the riverbank but after the El Nino the space where she was planting vegetables for sale was carried away by the rains.  Currently she washes clothes for people in Rongai to feed the family. They have one bed where the grandmother sleeps with the three children and the mother sleeps down on a mattress.

If Trevor is supported, he will be able to achieve his dream of being a teacher and change his life and the life of his brothers and the entire family.

Edward K.

Edward is a six year old boy who is in Play Group in Okoka Primary School in Bangladesh. He is the fourth born in a family of four children. The mother has been in two failed marriages. After a small misunderstanding Edward’s father woke up one morning and sold everything they had leaving the family in an empty house. The family lives in a single room mud house paying a monthly rent of 11 Euros. They use an average of 3 Euros per month for electricity, but the water is available as it is free courtesy of the County Government of Nairobi. The mother is a fruit vendor, but it is very hard for her now since in Kenya when we are in the cold season not many people are buying fruits. In good season she makes a profit of 3 Euros in a day. We asked her if she gets support from the father where she explained that the father remarried and no longer supports them. They have one bed which is shared by all of them. Edward loves his family and likes to play paly with his friends after school. If supported Edward can achieve his dream of being an Architect and change his life, the life of his family and community at large.

Julius M.

Julius Mumo is a 14 year old boy from the Eastern Part of Kenya. He is the Eighth born child in a family of Nine children. The father who is elderly is the sole provider of the family after Julius mother and step-mother passed on a couple of years ago. Julius, the father and Julius youngest brother who are the only ones currently living in the homestead live in a Two Room Brick House which is the family house. Due to the father’s old age Julius elder siblings who also work in the countryside but do not live with them because they have their own families and do not make much help Julius, the father and his youngest brother with money to at least buy food.

Due to the tough situation at home Julius might not make it past Primary School Level as all his other siblings dropped out of school because of the lack of School Fees. Julius dreams of working in the Police Force someday. If given the opportunity he can make something of his life and help his family as well as the community at large.

David L.

David is an 11 year old boy who is in Grade 4. He lives with his mother and sister in a single room stone house in the slums of Kayole in Nairobi. His mother is the sole bread provider of their family since David’s father decided to take no responsibility for the child after he realized that his mother was pregnant with David. The mother was then neglected by her own family because of getting pregnant. The mother then got into another informal marriage with a new man who became David’s step-father who would mistreat David because he was not his biological son. The mother seeing this decided to live with the children on her own so that they would not be mistreated any more. David’s mother continues to work hard by washing other people’s clothes but barely makes enough money to sustain herself and her children. David is a needy case and if assisted he would achieve his dream, help his family out of family and the whole community as well.

Francis W.

Francis W. is a 15-year-old boy who lives in the Slums of Nairobi with his older sister and her family after the passing of their mother during the birth of their youngest sister. He is currently in Grade 6 at a Public School in their area of residence. Francis is in the same class with his younger brother who is 9 years old because he had to start school late due to poverty. The lack of funds made it impossible for his late mother to be able to take him to school when he was of age. His father who does odd jobs to get by, has another family with his first wife who he is also responsible for. According to Francis class teacher who we had a talk with, Francis has the potential to make something of his life if supported through his education. Therefore if given the opportunity Francis will be in a position to help his family and his siblings out of poverty.

Junior A.

Junior A. is a 9-year-old boy who lives who lives in the Slums of Nairobi with his older sister and her family after the passing of their mother during the birth of their youngest sister. He is currently in Grade 6 at a Public School in their area of residence. Junior who is in the same class as his elder brother who is 15 years old because he had to start school late due to poverty go to the same school. The lack of funds made it impossible for his late mother to be able to take him and his brother to school when they were both of age. His father who does odd jobs to get by, has another family with his first wife who he is also responsible for. According to Junior’s class teacher who we had a talk with, Junior is a bit of a slow learner. Mainly because he did not have the proper early childhood education foundation but if supported through his education, Junior can make something of his life, and the community at large

George D.

 George is a  4-year-old boy who lives in the slums of Kibera with his mother and two other siblings. George has never been to school despite his age and was recommended to Real Stars as a needy child by the teachers of a nearby school where his mother tried to enroll him into the PP1, but she did not the have the admission money . The mother is the sole provider of the family after his father abandoned the family, and later on remarried and started another family with the new wife. Now the mother washes clothes for other people for some small pay and does any odd jobs that she can get to able to take care of her three children. It was our observation that George should be considered for the sponsorship, as his possibility of ever going to school seems hopeless being his older sister Natasha who is now 12 years old going to 13, was also at home during the visit. The reason being she had been sent home from school for the lack of school fees.

Ramires M.

Ramires M. is a 10-year-old boy who lives in Kibera with his mother, younger brother and sister. He was referred to Real Stars by his teachers as a needy child at the Primary School he goes to where he is in Grade 5. Ramires only lives with his mother and two siblings, after their father abandoned them. The father later on remarried and had another child with his new wife starting another family. Ramires mother who washes clothes for other people for some small pay is the sole-provider of the family. The family of four lives in small one room iron sheet house where they pay 25 Euros per month. They use electricity worth 3 Euros per month and water around 9 Euros per month.The one room house being so small the sleeping arrangement of the family is that the mother shares the bed in the room with her youngest daughter, while the two brothers sleep on a mattress on the floor. Ramires remains hopeful that he will get a sponsor, continue with his education to be able to make something of his life to help his family.

Rejoice S.

Rejoice S. is a 11-year-old girl who lives in Kibera with her grandmother and her aunt. She was referred to Real Stars by her teachers as a needy child at the Primary School where Rejoice is in Grade 4. Rejoice lives with her maternal grandmother, after the passing of her biological mother last year. The family of three that includes the grandmother, Rejoice and the grandmother’s niece lives in a one room house where the pay 40 Euros per month inclusive of electricity and use an average of 15 Euros per month on water. The grandmother who is elderly is the sole provider of the family working as vegetable vendor. She stated her niece who washes clothes for other people for some small pay also assists her in the providence of the basic needs of the family. The sleeping arrangement of the family is that the grandmother shares a bed with Rejoice while the niece (Rejoice Aunt) sleeps on the couch in the sitting area of the one room house.

Jeff M.

Jeff M. is a 11-year-old boy who lives in an area called Fort Jesus in the slums of Kibera with his family. He was referred to Real Stars by his teachers, as a needy child at his Primary School where Jeff is in Grade 4. Jeff comes from a  family of seven  which includes the mother, Jeff and his five siblings. The family of seven lives in a one room house where they pay 65 Euros per month inclusive of water but share a communal toilet and bathroom which are outside. The mother who works as a house help in Nairobi but her end of month pay is calculated by her workload throughout the month, is the sole provider of the family after her very abusive husband abandoned her and their children. Three of her older children are in different boarding schools under different scholarships, while the other younger three who are in day primary schools are fended for by their mother. The sleeping arrangement of the three children is that they share the double decker bed in the room. Since their mother often sleeps in the home she works in as a house help.

Elizabeth O.

Elizabeth is an 11- year-old girl in Grade 5 at Primary School in Kibera Slum where she also lives with her family. She comes from a family of eight which includes, Elizabeth, her parents and her five other siblings. The parents are the sole providers of the family, the father working as motorbike rider carrying people from one place to another for some pay while the mother sells samosas by the road side in the area they live in. The parents use both their earnings to cater for their six children although the father is not consistent because he has another family. The family Pays a monthly rent of 35 Euros per month for their two room stone house, while the water and electricity costs them 11 Euros per month. The parents and children sleep on different beds in the other room. The parents sleeping on the single bed while the children share the double-decker bed as they have made one of their rooms their sitting room.

Elizabeth is a self-motivated girl considering she walks like two and half kilometers everyday to school and she never misses class unless she is sent home from school ,for lack of school fees. If supported Elizabeth continue with her education and make something of her life.

Carlos I.

Castro Irazia, is an eight-year-old boy who lives in Kibera Slums with his parents. The family of 9 including a child of their relative lives in a one-room mud house, which they own and therefore do not pay rent. Castrol and his twin brother Calvin are both the fourth born in their family. He is currently in Grade 2 at a Primary School nearby. His parents, who are the sole providers for the family, rely on casual labor to make ends meet. His father earns a living by transporting goods from one place to another using a trolley, making an average of 5 Euros day depending on the availability of work. His mother works as a gardener at Langata, earning 3 Euros per day. With such unstable incomes, the family struggles to provide for their daily needs, including food, school supplies, and other basic necessities. Despite the challenges, Castro attends school regularly and is determined to continue his education. However, due to the family’s financial situation most of the time he is sent home from school for lack of school fees. The case of Castrol is needy because his elder siblings have repeated classes for lack of school fees. Castrol is in need and if assisted he would achieve his dream, help his family and the Community at large.

Olivia P.

Olivia is a 9-year-old girl who lives in Kibera with her mother and three sisters. She was recommended to Real Stars by her teachers from a nearby school where she is Grade 4. Olivia is the last born of her four sisters. Their mother who is the sole provider of the family after being abandoned by her husband works as a tailor in the market near their home. The family of five which includes Olivia, her mother and three sisters lives in a one room iron sheet house where they have partitioned the sitting area from the sleeping area using a bedsheet paying a monthly rent of 43 Euros inclusive of Electricity. They also use a maximum of 2 Euros per month on drinking water since the houses they live in the owner already dug a bore hole which produces hard water which is salty. They therefore only use that water to only clean their house and clothes. The mother also shared with us that it is difficult for her to provide for her daughters. Olivia’s mother has struggled to pay school fees and to provide basic needs for her family with the little earnings she makes for her tailoring job. At the time of our visit the mother’s eyes were very swollen. She shared with us that she has a problem with her eyes but she has not been able to seek medical attention due to the lack of money. Olivia is a needy child with a dream of becoming an engineer. If assisted she will be able to achieve her dream of being a teacher.

Yusuf H.

Yusuf H. is a 8-year-old boy living in Kibera with his mother, after his father abandoned the mother soon after finding out she was pregnant with him.  He is the last born of 3 boys with two older brothers from a different father. Yusuf’s two siblings do not live with them because they were taken in by their father who has another family. This was after their mother who was burnt by her then boyfriend was put in hospital for months after sustaining severe injuries from the Incidence.( The mother’s boyfriend who comes from a fairly rich family in the slums has never been arrested for the gruesome act and still walks free in the slums of Kibera.) However after the mother’s slight recovery and discharge from hospital the father of Yusuf’s two brothers rented them a one room mud house separate from his family’s home, and left them to take care of themselves. The mother stated the two brothers often come to her house where she lives with Yusuf to ask for food, which means that they are now partially dependent on their mother as well. This makes the mother who has burns from her neck all the way to her hands and the upper part of her legs struggle to provide for Yusuf’s basic needs. Yusuf’s mother who washes clothes for other people for a small fee told us she cannot get any other job opportunities, due to the scars all over her body that scare people away. However she uses all her earnings from washing clothes for other peoples to pay rent for the one room mud house where she lives with Yusuf that goes for 35 Euros per month. Which the mother told us they are already in a couple of months rent arrears from the period she was in hospital. The one room house which Yusuf and his mother lives in has no toilet or bathroom and they therefore go to the toilet in a plastic container in their house and then pour outside. When it comes to cleaning themselves they take baths inside the house using a basin in the middle of the room and then clean the house. Yusuf is currently in Grade 4 in a nearby school where he was recommended to Real Stars by his teachers as a needy child.  If assisted Yusuf will be able to achieve his dream of becoming a Lawyer and fight for people like his mother who are denied justice because they are poor.