Annual Report 2022 Published
Light Up Hope is happy to announce our annual general report has been published. This report highlights the work which was completed by Light Up Hope in 2022, including program successes and funding received.
education
Dear Tuungane Community Foundation,
My name is Juliet Muthoni Wambui, the last-born daughter to Jane Wambui. I am a student in Nyandarua High, currently in form two. My mother is a single parent who has done everything in her power to educate me and my older sister. As a tea vendor on the beautiful market of Kenol, her meagre income has never been enough to cater to our food, clothing, housing and educational needs but somehow my mother always ensured my sister and I remained in school at all times. However, 2020 was an especially hard year for me and my family. In addition to the pandemic that restricted my mother’s income, she fell seriously ill leaving us with little to no funds to even pay for our rent. In previous years, my sister and I have always helped our mother in her business during school holidays. We would often cook the tea and clean her utensils as she left to deliver the drink to her customers. But with her illness, we could not deliver the tea as we ourselves had never interacted with her customers. When the time came for me to join form one, I remember how my mother tried to borrow […]
All Rounded Beneficiaries
To lead a successful life, any individual needs to learn the art of balance. Indeed, while the focus is encouraged in achieving life goals, one needs an outlet. It is with this approach that we at Light Up Hope encourage our beneficiaries to not only do well in class but also in sports, clubs, and businesses. This month, we highlight the achievements of two of our beneficiaries. Lilian Mumanyi is a student at Kenyatta University taking a degree in Aerospace Engineering. As one of four ladies in her class, she constantly proves herself by recording astronomical grades in all her exams. Indeed, when she first joined the university, she was not sure how well she would do in this field because of how rare it is for ladies in Kenya to take up courses in the STEM departments. However, after att and assurance from the organization that we would avail all the necessary resources and support she needs to succeed in her studies, Lilian was delighted to go forth and courageously chase her dreams of one day working in the aerospace industry. ‘‘Aerospace Engineering is a relatively new course in Kenya and one of the toughest lines of studying. Nevertheless, […]
The Story of Monica Mwongeli
Hi, my name is Monica Mwongeli and am a student at Kenyatta university pursing a degree in Nursing through the funding from Tuungane Community Foundation. Growing up, I remember visiting the local clinic on days medical officers from Nairobi would visit just to see the nurses. Back then, the simple white dresses with crisp rubber shoes the nurses wore symbolized the epitome of achievement and importance. I dreamt of one day becoming a nurse and working in a big hospital like Kenyatta National Hospital. At the time, things at home were okay and my dreams of becoming a nurse did not seem so farfetched. See, I am the second born in a family of five children between two living parents. In the first 8 years of my life, both my parents had stable sources of income with my mother working odd jobs in local farms and my father working for a huge factory. My parents were both very caring and I enjoyed spending time with my siblings after school. However, life happened and our family’s bubble was busted by one tragedy after another. It all begun when my father had an argument at work with one of his colleagues. The […]
Ellis’ Lighted Path
In 2007, Kenya experienced one of the worst post-election violence in the country’s history. Many lives were lost and many more destroyed. At the center of the chaos, children were separated from their families with some ending up on the streets. Among the many Kenyan families whose lives where forever changed, was the Liyala household. The economic consequences of the post-election violence left Mama Phoebe and her husband Liyala at crossroads. The loss of sources of income worsened the relationship between the couple and by 2009, domestic violence and poverty had taken a toll on Mama Phoebe who was forced to make a decision any mother would struggle with, giving up her children to live in a children home located in Kayole slums. Heartbroken, Ellis Liyala and his little brothers Maxwell Ouna and Nicolas Biboh left the rest of their family members to begin a new life with strangers who ultimately became family. Life at the home was comfortable as would be in a children home. However, the local authorities started to harass the owners of the home demanding illegal payouts which forced the founders to relocate the home to a rural town located on the Western side of the […]