In 2011 Brian Tsuma Mashuwa was a quiet and intelligent 8th grader who dreamed of reaching higher. The second of eight children, he felt the weight of his family’s desperate situation on his own shoulders. He watched as the boys in the village dropped out of school after 8th grade to help their parents scrape together enough food or money to survive. Brian knew the few Kenyan shillings he could earn would make a difference for his family, but he still hoped a miracle would allow him to stay in school. It would take a miracle; as subsistence farmers, his parents barely grew enough food in their small garden plot to feed the family. There was no way they could cover the school fees to send him to high school. It was all just barely out of his reach - high test scores had earned him an invitation to a respected boarding school, but the question of how to pay the fees always brought his hopes crashing down. 

That was the year Kenya Keys country director Joseph Mwengea offered Brian a Kenya Keys sponsorship. Brian could hardly believe his dreams had wings again. He spent every day of high school grateful for the chance to work hard and reach farther. He graduated with excellent grades and was accepted to a college Electrical Engineering program at Sigalagala National Polytechnic. He took his final exams in November of 2019.  Speaking of his opportunity to stay in school, Brian said,

“If it weren’t for the Kenya Keys projects, it would be impossible for me to reach up to that level. So I thank Kenya Keys. Even my colleagues, the Kenya Keys sponsored students, they could not reach where they are now. So I thank Kenya Keys for what they did through education.” 

Ten years after Joseph Mwengea welcomed Brian into the program, the two unexpectedly met again. Joseph was walking through town when a voice called to him from above. He looked up to see Brian Mashuwa waving from the bucket of a Kenya Power & Light boom truck where he was using his training as an electrical engineer to work on the power lines. He had literally reached a higher level through education. 

Brian’s gratitude for the chance to break the cycle of poverty is still deep. He thanks Joseph, Kenya Keys, and his sponsor, Brian McConkie for helping him unlock his potential and reach higher. To all of you who support Kenya Keys, you are the answer to prayers. You are the miracle. You are the lift that allows these students to reach out of poverty and achieve a much higher level. Thank you.