I came from a family of two mothers and one father – which is very common in Africa. Since my dad didn’t take care of us, I had to move around often to live with my mom, aunt, or grandma in and out of a Nairobi slum called Soweto. My life was difficult, to say the least. I grew up with a lot of bitterness about life and my dad. The only outlet in my life was to bury myself in studying. I didn’t have any sense of direction, but vaguely believed that if I studied hard, something good would come eventually. I managed to graduate from high school, but since I couldn’t afford the high school fees, I wasn’t granted a high school certificate. This made it impossible for me to get a job after graduation. Out of hunger and desperation, I went back to the Soweto slum and found the Sheepcare Community Center as my home. I helped out with odd jobs at the center in order to survive.

However, I never gave up on my dream of studying computer science one day. It was a seemingly impossible dream until Trinity Education established a partnership with Sheepcare Community Center to offer higher education for young students without any opportunities. I could hardly express my excitement at that time. Soon, a computer lab was set up in my slum community and I had access to well-designed online courses in computer literacy and computer science, entrepreneurship, and Christian worldview. At that time I was still living in a house without electricity, so I had to go to my friend’s house to charge my old laptop that I bought with money I had saved. I used to practice typing by the light of an oil lamp, and my goal was to get so good at typing that I could do so without the oil lamp’s light. I was determined to improve my skills and better my life. I worked hard and often volunteered to help other students with their studies. In fact, this was the first time in my life that I was expected to step up as a leader. When I was younger, I was always quiet and didn’t want to be in front of people. However, three years with Trinity Education has not only taught me computer science skills, but also instilled a sense of leadership within me.

I am now working as a system administrator at an IT company in Nairobi, and I have moved out of the Soweto slum for the first time in my life. I work in the area of computer security and system administration at my company, and the work ethic and character training I learned through Trinity has also positioned me for success at work. I’m grateful for the opportunities, relationships, and education I have received through Trinity Education, and I hope that more students with desperate backgrounds will have education opportunities to fulfill their calling and live life to the fullest.