Nurturing future female leaders one sponsorship at a time
Sharon Maria is a Form 1 student at St Charles Ichuni Girls High School in Kisii County, whose love for physics was cultivated in her by her teacher from school. Sharon visits the resource room of the Ruben Centre in Mukuru kwa Ruben and uses the internet to get more revision questions which enable her to read ahead in her study of physics.
Diana Mbatha is a Form 2 student at Muthyo Mixed Day High School in Makueni County. Diana loves history, physics and chemistry. Her love for the aforementioned subjects propel her to visit the resource room of the Ruben Centre to discover studying tips from the internet.
Sharon Maria learns from a physics class on YouTube from the resource room of the Ruben Centre. Photo: Stephen Tengo
Moreover, Diana browses through motivational speeches on YouTube which encourage her to aim higher. As Diana is passionate about Arts, she aims to couple the inspiration she gets with learning more about arts.
Jane Mwikali is a Form 3 student at Makindu Girls High School in Makueni County, who accesses the resource room of the Ruben Centre to use Google for research purposes. Researching on Google helps her to do her assignments and read more. Jane diversifies her research experience by combing through YouTube as she aspires to take up journalism as a career in the future.
“A learned woman has better chances of being self sufficient and aware of her needs as well as position in society,” Jane avers as she scrolls through her Christian Religion Education (CRE) notes online.
Lilian Purity is a form 2 student at St. Bakhita Gataragua Girls High School in Nyeri County, who wants to become a Surgeon. In order to do so, Lilian visits the resource room of the Ruben Centre to revise and research on subjects which she is fond of. These subjects include Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Lilian Purity looks at images of women surgeons online from the Ruben Centre's resource room as she aspires to be a surgeon. Photo: Stephen Tengo
“I want to become a surgeon so that I can make a difference about the belief that women are not able to perform in the fields of science,” says Purity.
Even though Lilian was born and bred in Mukuru kwa Ruben, she remains steadfast in her desire to settle in a different settlement. As a young lady in the field of science, Lilian draws her inspiration from Samantha Tross, the first black female orthopedic surgeon in Britain.
Marion Nasike is a Form 1 student at Nyabururu Girls High School in Kisii County, who is also a part of the Ruben Orchestra. Marion plays the violin and finds YouTube to be very resourceful as she seeks tips on how to play the violin. Marion desires to become an Ophthalmologist once she attains the required education and qualifications to pursue a career.
Marion Nasike uses YouTube to learn how to play the Violin. Photo: Stephen Tengo
Valentine Kerubo is Form 3 student at Regina Caeli Girls High School in Kiambu County with a love for Mathematics. Valentine uses the resource room of the Ruben Centre to increase her knowledge of solving mathematical inequalities and equations.
“I love Mathematics and want to change the monotony that girls are unable to excel in the field of mathematics,” Valentine affirms after solving a mathematical inequality in the desktop computer ahead of her.
Sharon, Diana, Jane, Lilian, Marion and Valentine are young girls from the Ruben Centre who are currently being sponsored by the Ruben Centre to further their education. The young girls are born and raised in the Mukuru kwa Ruben informal settlement. Still, their immediate environment does not limit the expanse of their dreams.
As they aspire to reach the greatest heights in the fields of science and arts, they draw inspiration from accomplished women such as Wangari Maathai, who was a Kenyan environmentalist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Ruben Centre uses education to empower the residents of the Mukuru community so they can achieve their dreams and become active contributors to the realization of a just and empowered Mukuru community.
Young girls from the Mukuru community in secondary school who are being sponsored by the Ruben Centre pose for a picture outside the resource room in the Ruben Centre. Photo: Stephen Tengo
Facilitated by Kennedy Wachira, Facilitator of the Resource Room
Written by Sharon Maria, Diana Mbatha, Jane Mwikali, Lilian Purity, Marion Nasike, Valentine Kerubo & Stephen Tengo.