It was already getting dark, so I was already inside the matatu (local bus) to go back to Shianda when Erick replied to my message saying "wait for me, I got a bike, and I am on my way to Kakamega"!
I thought he hired a boda boda (motorbike taxi) to come and meet me in the town centre, so I got out of the matatu and waited. A few minutes after here he was, with his Lamborghini (as he called it): a bicycle he borrowed from a friend just to come and meet me.
I had contacted Erick previously asking for his availability for a short interview since he was one of the 52 students that answered the Mondo Child Support Program Follow-up questionnaire I had distributed in the previous months.
Mondo has been supporting children education in Kenya since 2012 and this year we ran a follow-up assessment to understand how the supported children have been doing after the support finished, their future plans and what was the most significant change the support had in their lives.
So here I was getting to know Erick story in person!
In 2015 Erick was struggling to continue his education at a secondary school level. Living only with his grandmother and his 3 younger siblings, it was difficult to raise income to pay the school fees. One day he came in touch with Wefoco NGO, Mondo partner in Kenya, through the Wefoco Women groups. He applied for Mondo Brilliant Fund, a fund that provides bursaries for secondary education based on students merit.
“Mondo support was the backbone of my education, without the support I don't think I would have made it”
The Mondo Brilliant Fund allowed Erick to complete his secondary studies - “It made me be equal to those who are educated” - in a conducive environment and without stress and concerns on how to find income to pay the school fees “I was full time in class without being sent home for school fees”.
After finishing secondary he didn't give up on his passion and willingness to continue with his education “my passion was always to be a biology lab researcher”.
It wasn't easy, but he never gave up. He continued to apply for government bursaries and started looking for small jobs to raise some money to pay for his university, "I was carrying carts with water to construction sites to get some money to be able to pay for my studies".
Erick today is an independent young man “I work during the day to pay my rent, my studies and support my siblings... and I study part-time. Currently I am in my second year of Applied Biology and hoping to graduate by the end of next year”.
When Erick replied to my message he said he was honoured to meet me and talk to me, but at the end of the day, I was the one honoured to meet him in person. He made my volunteer day with his I can make it attitude. His humbleness, strength and resilience were an inspiration to me.
Thanks to Mondo Child Support Program, 186 vulnerable children are currently accessing primary and secondary education in Kenya 2021 school year, including children with disabilities and young mothers.
If you also wish to make a difference and support more children to achieve their dreams, you can join us here: Brilliant Fund | MTÜ Mondo
Andreia Silva
Senior Gender and Education EU AID Volunteer with Mondo in Shianda, Kenya.
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