BECOME A SPONSOR
May 1st is Labor Day in Kenya, a time to honor hard work and dedication. In recognition of your commitment to the mission of FOSA, we are pleased to invite you to our Celebration of Thanks. This special event embodies the spirit of giving and empowerment, with the goal of supporting Kenyan youth as they pursue their dreams through education. Your support will help provide scholarships to deserving students at St. Anne’s Girls’ High School and those advancing post-secondary education.
In the tradition of May baskets – filled with flowers and good wishes – we hope you will join us in offering the gift of opportunity. Together, we can make a lasting impact on these young lives, helping them flourish through the power of education.
Together with your generous support, Envision Kenya will make a difference, ONE girl at a time. Asante Sana
NELLY SYNOPSIS
Sarah Kemboi Mwaura, Principal, has been doing impressive work at St. Anne’s!
Implementing new classes like computer lab, home sciences, and French will definitely
provide the students with valuable skills and broaden their learning opportunities. The addition of these subjects also shows a commitment to preparing the students for a modern, well-rounded education.
In addition to that, efforts are underway to refresh and clean up the school grounds which shows that she’s focused not just on academics, but also on creating a positive and healthy environment for everyone. A clean, well-maintained school setting can greatly contribute to the overall well-being of both students and staff. The school exterior has been repainted. The current project is to level out the grounds in the front of the school to provide more space for sports activities.
Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Opportunities – The Inspiring Journey of Nelly Jepkirui
Meet Nelly Jepkirui, a resilient and determined woman whose journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, hard work, and the transformative impact of education. Nelly’s story is one of overcoming financial hurdles, navigating through adversity, and ultimately carving out a brighter future for herself and her family.
Nelly’s academic journey began at St. Anne’s Girls-Kapkemich Secondary School, where she was proud to be one of the pioneering students. Despite her strong desire to succeed, financial challenges threatened to cut her secondary education short. With two siblings also in secondary school, the financial burden on her parents was immense. However, Nelly’s determination and her parents’ unwavering support enabled her to rise above these challenges.
“I remained focused on my studies despite the difficulties,” says Nelly. “I knew that education was my ticket to a better future. I was determined to make the most of every opportunity.” Her hard work and perseverance paid off, as she became the top student in St. Anne’s Girls Secondary School.
Nelly’s academic excellence did not go unnoticed. Her remarkable performance and dedication earned her the first FOSA scholarship awarded in 2012. This scholarship was a life-changing opportunity, allowing Nelly to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics with Computing at Moi University, free from the heavy burden of financial worries.
“Receiving the FOSA scholarship was one of the most important moments of my life. It allowed me to fully concentrate on my education and gave me the chance to pursue my dreams without constantly worrying about school fees,” Nelly reflects.
After graduating, Nelly faced another major challenge: securing stable employment. With limited job opportunities, she made the bold decision to continue her education. In
a move that would strengthen her skills and improve her career prospects, she enrolled at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) to pursue a diploma in pharmacy. It was a decision fueled by her belief in the importance of adaptability and self-improvement.
Thanks to the generous support of FOSA, Nelly received another scholarship, enabling her to complete her pharmacy diploma. “I am so grateful for FOSA’s continued support,” she says. “Your kindness has helped me to pursue my dreams, and I am deeply appreciative of the impact it has had on my life.”
Today, Nelly is passionate about clinical pharmacy and is committed to serving her community. She sees her work in pharmacy not just as a career, but as a way to give back to others who, like her, may face financial struggles.
“I want to inspire others who face similar challenges. I want them to know that perseverance, education, and seizing opportunities can lead to a brighter future. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty,” Nelly emphasizes.
Nelly’s story is not just about her success; it is also about the sacrifices her family made to ensure she had a chance at a better future. Her elder siblings were unable to continue their education due to financial constraints, so they supported her parents in paying her school fees. Nelly acknowledges that without her access to education, her life today would have been very different, with limited opportunities and greater dependency on others.
Nelly’s journey continues to inspire and motivate others to believe in the power of education and to never give up in the face of adversity. She reminds us all that while life may present challenges, the courage to keep going, the willingness to embrace opportunities, and the determination to succeed can turn dreams into reality.
As a proud wife to Dancan Koech and mother to her 10-year-old twins, Bradley Kipchumba and Ashley Jepkoech, Nelly remains committed to building a better future for her family and helping others along the way.
Thank you, Nelly, for sharing your story and inspiring us all to believe in the power of resilience and the potential of education.
A Note from Ginger – Director of Education – FOSA
St. Anne’s was an eye-opener for me. I began teaching many years ago, relying mostly on books, a chalkboard, and a ditto machine that produced blue copies. Over time, educational technology evolved, and by the time I retired from teaching at Leavenworth High School, every classroom had a ceiling-mounted projector, a computer or laptop (or both) for each teacher, and SmartBoards or Document Cameras to help present material. Every student had a Chromebook.
However, when I visited St. Anne’s in November 2023, I saw a very different picture. The computer lab established years ago was no longer functional. There was no computer lab, no projectors, no computers in any classrooms, and only one desktop computer in the teacher’s workroom. One teacher had a personal laptop.
Recognizing the importance of computers in education, Principal Sarah Mwaura Njeri worked hard to add devices to the school’s curriculum. During a break from university, her son was temporarily hired to connect the mismatched machines to the internet. Students began studying computers, sharing machines as they went. Since then, the lab has expanded to 13 desktop computers and 3 laptops. The school has also hired a teacher with a degree in computer science. While the government has provided textbooks, they have not supplied any of the necessary hardware to establish the program.
Adding computer science, home science, and music to the curriculum was particularly important to Principal Sarah. Until then, the school had only offered a “college prep” curriculum, but not every student is destined for college, either in Kenya or anywhere else. Maintaining a high enough GPA to keep their FOSA scholarship was impossible for some students without more engaging courses that played to their strengths. Principal Sarah saw the need to offer these girls a different pathway, allowing them to identify and develop their talents.
To help establish these courses, FOSA applied for a designated donation from the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, provided donors with the option to give directly for computers or a projector, and worked with the Interact Club at Leavenworth High School to raise the remaining funds for the projector. The Institute for Healthy Singing supported the music program. Principal Sarah loaned her gas cooker to the Home Science class and allowed them to use the dishes the school uses to serve visitors. She also visited other schools with established programs and requested patterns for clothing construction.
It was exciting to return to St. Anne’s in May and use the new projector to show seniors how to minimize squares to create a least-squares regression line. I was also able to help them visualize how factors multiplied together to create a polynomial and how their multiplicities affect the graph of the function. After returning to Kansas, when the Form 4 (senior) girls were doing revision for their exams, I could make videos explaining difficult exercises, and the teacher could use the projector to show these explanations to the students. (Doing this in real-time was tricky because of the time difference!)
For Home Science, Principal Sarah had hired a teacher and began offering the course to Form 1 (freshmen) and a few continuing upperclassmen in January 2024. The government provided textbooks, and since much of the Form 1 coursework is theoretical, they could begin with a limited budget. However, for a hands-on course like Home Science, much more is needed as the students progress. Using tuition funds for teaching and learning materials, Principal Sarah was able to purchase one sewing machine in September. Using the designated donation from the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth which was funded in the autumn of 2024, we decided to prioritize supplying the school (through FOSA) with a stove, additional sewing machines, dishes and cooking equipment, and a few revision books, as we could not fund everything we had hoped for. We expect that if the government should fund these items in the future, the school will return our FOSA-owned equipment to the FOSA office, where local entrepreneurs can borrow it to help start their businesses.
For the music program, the Institute for Healthy Singing has generously donated instruments, provided instruction, and given textbooks, as the government did not supply any music books.
Asante’ Sana –
Once again thank you so much for your donation. Happy Spring – Ruth, Cathy & Ginger!
Looking forward to a great 2025 with our FOSA Scholars.
