Journey 1
MERCY SUSAN- MIALE CSP
Mercy Susan is the youngest child in Miale CSP. She is 8 years and lives in Kibera with her brother Peter Gerenge, the largest slam in East Africa. She lives in a small section called Kianda in a one room house which has one bed, one blanket and two stools.
She now lives with her sickly mother who is HIV Positive after her father’s death in 2004. The mother is always on and off from her from her unpredictable daily casual labour because of her deteriorating health condition. She can no longer do much for herself.
Mercy has been promoted to class 2 this year. This has made her very happy.
When Mercy first joined Miale CSP in 2008 when she was 6 years old she was very untidy, with a running nose, her hair was unkept and wore tattered uniform and shoes was a tale to her. She was naive and had no confidence. No close friends since she could not manage any. No one wanted to be associated with her by the fact that the mother is sick with a deadly disease. The trauma associated with the disease kept everyone away. This made her lonely and heartbroken. Her performance in school was very poor and missed classes often to because of hunger and this discouraged her.
Since joining Miale CSP she has tremendously improved. Basically, her image is now different. She looks neat in her new uniform, shoes and her hair is short and neat. Her ever smiling face cannot fail to be noticed among other things. She has friends whom she relates to and is able to play and talk with them. Her performance has improved and she managed to score 453 marks in third term.
Mercy will spend the next 6 years in primary school where she will be assisted through Miale CSP program. The program offers basic needs and education at an average rate of Ksh 3000 per month to see her fed, clothed and go through school with ease.
Mercy is also expected to show improvements in behaviour, attitude and her relation with other kids. She is also expected to do her best in class and that the program will completely change her life for the better.
Mercy joins scholarship program immediately she is through with primary school where her results determines what she will be in future.
In 2016…..Plan A
Mercy will sit for her exams (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) KCPE. Assuming that she will perform excellently, Mercy will join secondary school though the scholarship program. This will last for four years. This will be between 2017 and 2020 when she will sit for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.
At his point her performance determines which tertiary College or a local University she is going to join and will pave way in seeing her become a career woman. This will be an exit strategy for Mercy.
Plan B.......2016
Mercy will sit for her KCPE in 2016 and if she does not perform well academically or if she decides that she doesn’t want to continue with formal education then the other option is join tertiary courses e.g. tailoring, catering, hair dressing and it has to be a course of her choice. This may be the next exit option to ensure that Mercy goes through a course which will enable her either get employment or starts her own business if possible with the support of Miale Child Support Program. If Mercy chooses to undertake a dressmaking course or jewellery making ,she will join Johari Youth Empowerment Program which will see her through further training to make her a fashion designer and more marketable and a producer for Johari foundation. This will be her livelihood.
Mercy would still set her own business and after YEP with assistance from the foundation and can become a productive person within her local community. Johari from time to time would give her order for uniforms for other kids in the program. This will be a way of promoting one of our own.
Plan C
Mercy will continue with her formal education after passing form 4 and joins a public University. In public universities there is HELB (Higher Education Loans Board) where she can get a loan. Though this is not guaranteed the foundation will support her to ensure that she completes her education. The foundation will also assist Mercy to search for a job depending with her specialization and if she can bridge any gap in the foundation, Mercy will be absorbed by the foundation to get exposure and later with another organization which she may absorb her.
Comments
The story of Patrick and Mercy clearly shows that the two children have a very long journey to undertake before they become self reliant. As a foundation, we have a greater job to make a different in their lives and enable them become self reliant hence lies a great challenge. The foundation has to ensure structures and policies that are sustainable to make the dreams of the children come true and meet the foundations goals.
The journey has begun and will go on for at least 10 years plus for both kids. The journey is in stages with different programs rolling in every stage of the child. In primary, the child is either in Miale Child Support Program of in Miale Outreach Program. As the child joins secondary school, Tertiary courses or University, the child moves to scholarship program and later exits from the program which is determined by choice of scholarship.
It is therefore important to make prior preparation with the very basic understanding that children in the program will stay for a long long time in the program before they are self reliant. Taken care of well, the children will one time look back and say, ‘THEY ARE PROUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH JOHARI FOUNDATION”. We will also be happy to have made a difference in their lives and the good work done when we can see the fruits of our labour.
BY REGINA
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