07 Apr Girl Power
As the global community takes stock of the progress made for women’s rights since the beginning of the 20th century, we realize that we need to continue striving for gender equality and opportunity for all. In our homes, we treat all of our children as equal regardless of sex, gender or ability. Thanks to your contributions, all of our kids are provided equal opportunities to thrive and reach their potential.
For this piece, we want to recognize and share the spotlight on two of our amazing girls who have grown up to be leaders in their homes. Mary from the Kikuyu home and Viola from the Kitalale home inspire those around them with grace and love.
Meet Viola
In October of 2012, Viola and her brother Kiplangat joined the Children of Hope family after intervention from the government children’s department due to severe neglect by their mother for years. The first few days at Kitalale were overwhelming for Viola who was five at the time. By this point, she hadn’t gone to school yet and hadn’t been socialized with other kids so she was shy and kept to herself. As she adapted to her new lifestyle in our home, her teachers noticed her quick improvement and saw how caring and hardworking she was.
Today, Viola is 13 years old and is in grade 8 which means she will be taking her final primary school exam in November this year which will determine which high school she’ll be attending next year. Despite her troubled background and rough start in school, she has completely triumphed over those challenges and is excelling in her academics. When she grows up, Viola would like to either be a fashion designer or work in the media industry. With her good heart and determination, we believe that Viola’s future will be bright regardless of what path she takes.
Outside of school, Viola is the happiest when she gets to dress up and act like a model. We will never forget the beauty pageant that the Aunties organized about a year ago. The girls had to use locally available materials to make their outfits and then walk the ‘runway’ with their creations. It was no surprise that Viola stole the show by waving at the rest of the kids with a big smile as she shared her creation with the world.
Meet Mary Waithera
At two years of age, Mary and her twin brother Francis were abandoned in Kiambu, a local town nearby. Luckily, they were found by a good samaritan who sought help by reporting the case to the police. Soon after, the children’s officer contacted us and we were able to bring both of the kids to our Kikuyu home where they officially became part of our family in 2004.
As a young girl, Mary was very quiet, shy and reserved with her emotions and thoughts. Whenever the Aunties were able to make her laugh, she had an incredibly infectious smile that no one could resist. With the assurance of a safe environment and plenty of love to make her feel comfortable, Mary started letting her true colors shine. Thanks to the love and care, her emotional, physical and psychological health drastically improved. Looking back, Mary has gone through a complete transformation. Today, due in great part to her spiritual growth, she is a confident, obedient girl who shares her story and encourages those around her.
Currently in her second-year of high school, Mary has been working hard in school and has been doing well in religious education, history, geography, physics and biology. With a heart of gold and willingness to lead and serve, she aspires to become a missionary to help spread love and compassion to those in need. Mary has also expressed interest in becoming an entrepreneur and becoming one of the most successful female business leaders in Kenya. Through discipline and hard work, we have no doubt that Mary will be able to follow her dreams and flourish as the fearless leader that she is.
As an organization, we believe in the need to empower our kids from a young age for them to gain confidence and take on the world. By dedicating the time and the energy to acknowledge their potential as individuals our Aunties have been able to help each of our kids overcome their past and create space for the brighter future they deserve. It is thanks to your generosity that we are able to provide the best education possible for our children to follow their dreams.