Child of the Week

Child of the Week

Mercy Mulungye

This week’s spotlighted child is Mercy Mulungye.  Mercy is seventeen years old.  She resides at Holly House and attends Waddington High School:

My name is Mulungye Mercy Mutindi.  I was born on June 9, 1999 at a small village known as Mbukani.  I was born in a family of eight members with I being the first born.  I am lucky to have both parents alive although they are all jobless.

I completed my primary course in the year 2014.  Life in primary school was very difficult for me.  This is because my parents were unable to pay the school fees required for me.  Sometimes I could even stay at home for almost a full term after being sent home for lack of school fees.  This continued for several occasions but at long last I managed to complete my primary course.  I scored a total marks of 364.

Having done all the best in my primary academics, I had no hope if I will continue with education at secondary level.  This was because my parents had told me that there was no option rather than staying at home and helping them in caring for my younger siblings.

Finally, time passed and pupils started being admitted in form one in difference schools.  All the standard eight leavers in our village were admitted except me.  One day as I was walking for the grazing fields I met with one of my church members who knew about my situation.  She was willing to help me and assist me in getting an application letter for sponsorship.  She finally got it and gave me to apply.

After a few days, the woman who helped me in getting the sponsorship letter came to our home and told me to prepare myself for she was going to take me to school.  My parents tried their best in providing some of the requirements such as school shoes and also a small box for me.  Finally I was brought here in Lorna Waddington High School and admitted.  This is where I started my secondary school education and became one of the Holly House members.  I am very happy and joyful to be in the Holly House and I thank God for that.

The reason as to why I would like to be sponsored is to continue with my academics.  According to me, I would like to be a doctor when I complete my education at University level. 

Having spoken much about myself, I would like to pen off here.

                                                                        Yours Sincerely,

                                                                        Mulungye Mercy Matindi

You can sponsor Mercy for only $30 a month.  Your sponsorship will cover school fees and help pay for room and board.  The sponsorship fees for Holly House children do not cover the entire cost of their living expenses, but help supplement the monthly needs for caring for the children in the orphanage.  The remaining portion of their living expenses are covered through separate donations.  As a sponsor, you will receive an annual photo and personal information about your sponsored child.  Your sponsored child will send you letters, and you will receive information regarding how to correspond with your sponsored child, should you choose to do so. 

To sponsor Mercy or for more information, please visit His Hands for Kenya or contact us here.  Please sponsor a Kenyan child today!

What Should I Buy in the Online Shop?

Our Kenya program is a bit unique in that we offer sponsors the opportunity to purchase items for their sponsored child through our online shop.  These items have been specially selected by the school’s director to ensure that they are useful and culturally appropriate.  Sponsors should never feel any pressure to purchase items from the online shop.  Sponsorship itself is a tremendous help to the children, and they have no expectation of receiving additional gifts.  Nevertheless, some sponsors do enjoy the ability to provide a gift to their sponsored child, and wonder what items from the online shop would be most useful.  While your sponsored child will undoubtedly be delighted with anything you choose, one of the following items may be particularly useful:

Uniform

Students at the schools generally have only one uniform, which is worn six days a week and washed and hung to dry on the seventh day.  Often the child’s only uniform will be a worn and ill-fitting hand-me-down.  Uniforms and uniform sets that include pullovers are available in the online shop for all ages.

School Shoes

Students are expected to wear black school shoes with their uniforms.  However, some children do not have school shoes at all, while others wear shoes that are too small, too large, or excessively worn.  

Textbooks

Textbooks are crucial to the academic success of our Nairobi Kids.  Due to lack of funds, children at GPS and WHS share textbooks.  Sponsors may purchase both individual texts and complete sets for their sponsored children through the online shop.  Please note that when you purchase a textbook for a student, that student will have use of the textbook throughout the academic year (including bringing the book home with them).  However, when the student moves to the next grade level, the textbook will remain in the classroom to benefit the next class of students.

Revision Books

Revision books are available for students in Standard 6 through Form 4.  Revision books provide detailed summaries of key concepts and are extremely helpful to the students in studying for their examinations (including the KCPE and KCSE Exams).  Each subject has its own revision book.  Each high school subject revision book covers the concepts taught in Forms 1-4 (thus a WHS student would only need one revision book in each subject to cover all four years).  There are two sets of primary school revision books: one that covers standards 7 and 8, and one that covers only standard 6.  Some sponsors choose to purchase revision books for their sponsored children to help them with the subjects in which they seem to struggle the most.

School Supplies

All of the children could use a gift of basic school supplies (the school will ensure that the items purchased are age-appropriate).  In addition, students in Standard 6 and higher would benefit from a purchase of the math sets, while high school students would find it helpful to have math sets, scientific calculators, and/or math tables for KCSE Exam Prep.

School Bag

A school bag (typically a backpack) is a useful gift for a student that has been given books or supplies.  The children typically live in very small, dusty dwellings and it is nice for them to have a place to keep their school things together and a means by which to easily transport them back and forth to school.

Child of the Week

Wilson Isalu

This week’s spotlighted child is Wilson Isalu.  Wilson is eighteen years old.  He resides at Holly House and attends Waddington High School:

My name is Wilson Isalu Onyengo.  I was born in Nairobi in April, 1998.  Our family is made of five members who are totally jobless and are living a miserable life.  I am the only child being looked after as I am the last born. 

I am the child of a single parent.  This is the result of my mother’s death in the year 2007.  She was the only breadwinner of our family and she was lovely but I am sorry we lost her.  It was during this time that our property was taken, leaving our family as poor as a church mouse.  We were welcomed to the field of suffering.  I was forced to remain outside of school for some years since my father was unable to pay for my school fees.  I even planned on committing suicide so that I could stop suffering but I was rescued by a neighbor who was passing by.

Due to all the suffering I experienced I would make away with people’s property so that I could get food since no one in our family was concerned with the other. 

I humbly request support from you so that I may achieve my goals in the future.  I have realized that the only weapon to fight poverty in our family is through education, which is the key to success.  Kenya is a good country with social people and there are so many areas of investment.  I personally have a desire to visit and know more about other countries.  After my high school level I would like to take a career in education.

I was glad to hear that my brother had met a good Samaritan in Nairobi who was ready to bring me to Holly House.  I have really learned a lot from him and from my fellow students.  My coming to Holly House has relit my vision.   

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                                                                        Yours Faithfully,

                                                                        Wilson Isalu

You can sponsor Wilson for only $30 a month.  Your sponsorship will cover school fees and help pay for room and board.  The sponsorship fees for Holly House children do not cover the entire cost of their living expenses, but help supplement the monthly needs for caring for the children in the orphanage.  The remaining portion of their living expenses are covered through separate donations.  As a sponsor, you will receive an annual photo and personal information about your sponsored child.  Your sponsored child will send you letters, and you will receive information regarding how to correspond with your sponsored child, should you choose to do so. 

To sponsor Wilson or for more information, please visit His Hands for Kenya or contact us here.  Please sponsor a Kenyan child today!