Our library has developed into a learning center. An increasing number of books and 70 workstations are available to the students of the surrounding communities and schools. In addition to a health education program, there are IT workshops and agricultural activities. Our tree nursery on the Kamasengre School grounds is part of the environmental education program. Faith, Cynthia, Geoffrey, Joash and Damaris, students sponsored by our sponsors, are already studying. They talk about themselves and how they are involved in their community. Lastly, Winnie, our IT officer, and the principal of Kamasengre Secondary School have their say.
Education is the Future – For equal educational opportunities!
My name is Faith Mkonwe. I am a twenty year old student at Eastern University in Kajiado district. I am an orphan who lost my father and mother in a family of five siblings. I am the oldest in my family, so I want to be a good role model for my siblings. I strive to work really hard and be successful to be a role model not only to my siblings but also to others because I come from a region where not many people are educated.
My father was a fisherman who passed away 6 years ago. My mother struggled with us, and through Badilisha’s sponsorship I can now have hope. This sponsorship program has paved the way for me, as I never dreamed of graduating from secondary school and even going to university.
During the holidays, I like to go to the library, mainly to read novels and storybooks, but also to do the assignments that we sometimes take home during the holidays. Storybooks and novels encourage my creativity and also help me improve my grammar.
My dream for the future is to become a renowned teacher in the line of medical professionals and inspire a generation of young people from my village to continue their education. I want to help change the trend to show them that education actually has value. I also want to help the less fortunate and give them the same opportunity I was given by benefactors without whom I would not have gotten this far. During the holidays, I put myself to work in the library. As part of the program, in which we also deal with agriculture and also IT training for children, I help them read.
Hello, I am Cynthia Anyango Ochieng and I live in Rusinga Island, Kamasengre West to be precise. I am 19 years old and come from a humble family of five children, three boys and two girls. I live with my parents who run a small business to make a living and provide some of the basic needs. I am currently a second-year student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, where I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Educational Technology (Electrical and Electronics Technology).
During my long holidays, I visited the library to supervise the distribution of textbooks to various schools on Rusinga Island. I enjoy solving problems and reading novels. My dream for the future is to help the youth to realize their potential and make more of themselves. Without forgetting the family and the community.
Finally, I would like to thank Badilisha Rusinga for giving me the unique opportunity to determine my destiny. I am really very grateful. I would recommend continuing the sponsorship program so that it can continue to change the lives of students from less fortunate backgrounds.
I am Geoffrey Odongo Oguta from Kamasengre East district. I am the fourth born of five siblings and 21 years old.
I come from a very humble background, my father was a fisherman who passed away 8 years ago while my mother is a smallholder farmer and she is the one we have struggled together with to make ends meet. My elder sister passed away in 2017 after a short illness, the second sister is married and has three children but they are not living a happy life due to financial problems, my two brothers are mentally challenged.
I am currently a student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology taking a course in social work and community development. When I am at home, I often visit the library to acquire more knowledge and important information about social work. The library visits have helped me with many project researches. I have also had good experiences with students from different schools and have been able to develop active friendships. It has helped me gain more knowledge about ethics.
My biggest dream is to become a good social worker, both in psychiatry and in the community. My main goal is to find solutions on how to help community members get out of poverty and also help with social and mental health issues.
Finally, I would like to thank the Badilisha Rusinga Library Community for the support they have given me since 2016. Thank you and may you continue to consider underprivileged families in society.
Hello, this is Joash Juma Mboya. I am 21 years old and the third born in our family of three boys and one girl. My family lives on Litare beach in Rusinga Island where my father is a fisherman. Unfortunately, I lost my mother in 2010.
I am a student at Bomet University College, which is part of Moi University, studying Bachelor in Business Management. I love writing poetic articles and reading novels. When I visit the university library, I have a lot of time and am free from noise to go through the books. When I am in Rusinga during the vacations, I visit Badilisha Rusinga Island Library to help the young students understand math, but also to read. We plan to join other students during this vacation to start other new programs, such as IT and agriculture, where we will produce food to support the elderly.
My name is Damaris Apama Ekirapa. Without the sponsorship program of Badilisha Rusinga Island, my life would have been ruined as I was helpless and almost married at the age of 12.
I thank God that through this program I got a new life, because with it I was able to get an education during my secondary school years and now I have hope because I can study at the university. I live in Bungoma where I study at Kibabii University and I am doing a course in Criminology and Criminal Justice. I am the 5th child of a family of 9 and come from humble beginnings. I live with my old grandmother.
Since I still live on Rusinga Island, I use the vacations to study in the library and participate in a community service program. During these vacations, I join our students’ team to help the elderly women with agricultural products such as food and supplement their diet. In the future, I dream of using my knowledge in the Criminal Department. May God bless you all abundantly.
My name is Winnie Atieno Adhiambo and I am the IT Officer at Badilisha CBO. I am an independent team player and my vision is to have a career in business in the IT sector.
Badhilisha Rusinga Island aims to transform the community by providing educational support to the less fortunate members and creating a clean environment for all. We have established a library that is available to the general public, supports the education of orphans, and also involves school-aged children in creating a better environment. Last year, over 20 students were supported with school fees through sponsorships. Over 1,000 students were directly supported through our library services.
And over 100 community members were able to be assisted with IT training and also Covid 19 matters. Our students have grown vegetables and have been able to supplement the diet of the elderly. We have also initiated health talks for our girls, educating them on issues that will help them develop responsibly. And as a result, we have seen that the trend of early pregnancies and marriages among schoolgirls is now on the decline.
Through Badilisha Rusinga Island, we as Kamasengre Secondary School have obtained a tree nursery. This tree nursery is instrumental in developing my students’ skills and raising their awareness of environmental protection. The students’ eyes are opened and they are made to think about the role nature plays in our daily well-being. They sang, played and convinced their classmates who are not from my school about the importance of a cleaner, better and healthy environment. Not only do they focus on their academic performance, but they also show a great interest in our Mother Nature.
The nursery at my school attracted the attention of students from other schools, which was evident during joint assemblies, especially sports and joint school competitions. At such meetings we could see students from other schools visiting our nursery, doing a lot of research and showing great interest.
The little trees from our nursery have prompted us as the school administration to set up an area where they can be planted, and we are hopeful and remain optimistic that our trees will thrive as well as those of Kamasengre Primary School, which have already been planted on the grounds there.
Singalia, Headmaster of Kamasengre Secondary School
Funding for sponsorships is increasingly causing us problems. Faith Mkonwe and Cynthia Anyango Ochieng have just lost their supporters. But they still want to finish their studies. For Faith we still need funding for one year, for Cynthia for two years. The annual costs for studies and boarding school are about 750 €.
You are welcome to contact us.