Education Makes a Way for New Opportunity in Kenya
As an organization, Orphan’s Promise wholeheartedly believes in education. In fact, we think that it is a key element in breaking the poverty cycle. For so many children across the world, access to education can be difficult. Through partnerships with local projects, we want to unlock the door of opportunity to as many children as possible by providing education programs and learning pathways to help enable those involved to fully reach the potential they contain.
Education can often be the difference between success and failure. Josphat’s story is one of great success!
Josphat was born into an abusive family situation, with his mother often being physically assaulted within the home. At the age of 1, his parents separated. But after such a prolonged amount of abuse, Josphat’s mother was really struggling with her mental health. So much so, that she was admitted to a medical facility, leaving little Josphat to be handed over to his elderly grandfather.
“Life at my old grandfather’s house was one of the toughest experiences I have ever gone through,” he recalled.
Josphat’s grandfather was very poor, and it was a struggle to sometimes meet even the most basic of needs. Shortly after his arrival, Josphat’s grandfather was widowed, and he was suddenly left to raise his 11 children, plus Josphat, single-handedly.
Times were tough, and education was far from the top of the list of priorities. Most of the younger children had to sacrifice their education so that the older ones could go to school. Even then, attendance was not regular.
Being the only boy in the family, much of the responsibility of tending to the family’s livestock fell to Josphat. From an early age he remembered:
“It was my duty to make sure that the cattle were attended to. I was the one to take the cattle. … This would happen every day, regardless of school, church, or any other occasion.”
By this stage, Josphat had given up hope of his life ever looking different.
He said, “I saw no hope of ever getting an education.”
But this was not the end of the story for Josphat. An Orphan’s Promise project called Our Home Child Care Center stepped into his life and offered him a future far from what he could have thought. Josphat, who was 10 years old at the time, joined the education program and things started to change for the better.
His attendance became more regular as the financial burden had been lifted. His grades began to improve, and his potential began to be realized. Through the Orphan’s Promise team, Josphat was introduced to the Gospel and began to learn about Jesus, accepting Him into his life!
As he continued to grow in his academic ability, Josphat began mentoring younger children within the program by coaching and tutoring the little ones. As he came alongside other children, recognizing himself within them, he has now become like a big brother to many within the project.
Orphan’s Promise has been an instrumental part of Josphat’s journey in education. Through the support of partners and donors, a young man’s life has been transformed. The future for Josphat looked so different before he came to the center, but now he has been equipped and enabled to forge a future full of prospects and promise.
Josphat has now graduated from a university with a BSc in economics and is building a new life as an active member of his community. He continues to volunteer in his local church and is involved in youth projects, helping others to see beyond their current circumstances and into a brighter future.
Josphat has the chance for a bright and successful future thanks to Orphan’s Promise.
None of this would have been possible without the faithful and generous giving of Orphan’s Promise partners, donors and friends. Because of you, Josphat has been given the opportunity to change the trajectory of his life from at-risk to thriving.