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Empowering Kenya’s Future Leaders – Take Heart Student Education Program

by | Aug 19, 2024 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

In the Oyuma Village in rural Kenya, a story of hope is unfolding. The lives of many youth are marked by adversity and cyclical poverty, and uncertainty. But amidst these challenges, a spark of potential is shining through. The Take Heart Student Education Program is dedicated to igniting that spark. By providing education, support, and opportunities, we’re empowering over 100 incredible young people to overcome obstacles and build brighter futures.

How are we doing it? With a powerful combination of Four Key Elements:

Academic Excellence: Where the balance of accountability and assistance lives for over 100 students. While full tuition and room and board sponsorship provides students in this program with access to education they otherwise wouldn’t have, it is the support through academic accountability and assistance that turns that access into excellence.  Additionally students are provided with training and workshops to prepare them for the workforce to give them the confidence they need to secure employment after graduation.

Financial Stewardship: Over 40 students in the program at the university level receive a stipend each month that covers their expenses for rent, utilities, food, transport, and supplies. They are then held accountable for tracking and recording their stewardship of those funds. Through this pillar, these students learn the valuable skill budgeting, while our staff and donors can ensure that the money is being used for what it has been allocated for.

Wholehearted Service: University level students volunteer at local children’s homes, hospitals, churches, and more to sew back into the communities in which they live. We also host quarterly Serve Days where our students gather regionally in five to seven locations to serve hundreds of Kenyans across the country. They cook meals, clean rooms, create community, and exemplify Christ.

Spiritual Development: We believe in the transformative power of faith. Our program fosters spiritual growth, creating a strong foundation for our students’ lives. Light overcomes darkness through the Spiritual Development pillar of our Education Program. The truth and grace of Jesus is shared weekly through student discipleship groups in which our Kenyan and U.S. staff both participate. We champion growth spiritually by sending our high school graduates to a three to six month discipleship internship program with one of our partners, African Enterprise, where they are discipled and directed on their paths. Each year, we celebrate spiritual development as family when we gather over 60 students for our annual conference. Learn more about our 2023 End of Year Conference. Together, these pillars are building a brighter future for Kenya.

Will you join us? Your support can transform lives. Learn more here.

Bellah in her graduation gown and Delta                                                                               Bellah in High School     

LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF
FROM: Bellah Oguma

Dear Younger Me,

I see you — small, quiet, full of questions you’re afraid to ask and dreams that feel too big for the place you’ve grown up in. Life in the orphanage doesn’t make anything easy, and most days, it feels like the odds are against you. But I’m writing from a future you helped build — one shaped by your courage, your determination, and your refusal to give up. I know things feel heavy right now — like every step forward in school is uphill, and sometimes it’s hard to see why any of it matters. But I’m writing to tell you: education is worth the fight. Even on the days when it feels like the world is stacked against you.

There were moments when you were tired of proving yourself. When the effort didn’t seem to match the reward. When you were wondering if you’re smart enough, strong enough, or simply enough. But I promise, every late night, every test you worried about, every time you kept going when you wanted to quit — it adds up. It shaped you.

Education felt like your only way out — and it was. But it was never just a way out — it became a path through. From your early days in the orphanage, through a district school, and then the weight of having to repeat your 12th grade year just to get a chance at the university, you never stopped. You fought for every grade, every opportunity. And eventually, you made it.

You got into university. You started studying law — the career you used to only dream about. You found a way, even though money was tight, and you studied on sponsorships your entire life. It has been by the grace of God. Behind every call back home, you hid the truth — you faked being okay so your family wouldn’t worry more. You shared your stipend with your parents and even helped pay hospital bills for your younger brother. You became the provider for two families, making sure supper was on the table both where you were and back home.

You took on a responsibility heavier than most, almost like the first child and head of the family, all while balancing university demands. The criticism for being a young mother on campus cut deep, and the withdrawal, both emotional and financial, was a lonely path. Late nights spent studying for project work often left you exhausted, but the urge to find a job to support yourself and your family never left your mind. Sometimes, the burden was so overwhelming that you avoided conversations about your background because it felt like too much to carry.

But through it all, you persevered.

And today, despite every challenge, you are a certified Court Annexed Mediator and a qualified law graduate. You’re standing on the threshold of admission to the bar, ready to start the next chapter of your journey. The woman you’ve become carries every sacrifice, every tear, every sleepless night — and turns them into strength.

Education wasn’t just a fight for a certificate. It was a fight for your dignity, your family, and your dreams. And it was worth every battle.

Hold onto that, little one. Your story is far from over — and the best is yet to come.

With endless love and pride,
Your Older Self