Egu Love: Intern Post by John Hester

I am past the half-way point on my 17-day journey in Kenya with the non-profit organization Kenya Keys. There have been many experiences that have touched my heart and soul and I have been continually taught by the people and my experiences here. Some brief examples: the grade 8 students at Egu primary school who spend their nights sleeping on their classroom floor so they can have some dim solar lights to study by at night; the parents who were so grateful for the sponsorships Kenya Keys is providing for their children that they presented Brent and Rinda with a goat; and hearing the stories of the first graduating class, after four years of sponsorship by Kenya Keys, offering their humble thanks for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Those are but a few of the powerful experiences.The one that stands out the most from these first nine days is the story of the Deputy Headmaster at Fuleye. He has a large family and a number of years ago his brother and sister-in-law were killed in an accident. Without a second thought, this humble man and his wife took in seven additional children to feed and care for as their own (for a total of 15 children). His oldest daughter and oldest niece both graduated from primary school (grade 8) and achieved the two highest test scores for girls in their school. But… the government does not pay for secondary school. The cost can be between $300 and $500 per year for public school. Both of these girls qualified for some of the better schools in the area but the cost was prohibitive for a family that makes maybe $150 per month. The community of teachers were trying to raise the money for tuition for the second child but had not yet been successful, so Kenya Keys agreed to sponsor one of the girls so they could both attend.When I heard this story, I saw a simple opportunity to make a huge difference in a young girl’s life, all for less than a dollar a day. When you see the desire these children and  their families have for an education, and how hard they work just to survive, it is impossible not to help.