Background Info

Esther Wangui was born on 15th March 2018 in Nakuru County. She is the last child of Gladys Wanjiku. Gladys is a 40-year-old widow. Esther and her family live in Ponda Mali slums in a tiny shelter made of mud. Esther’s father died in 2018 and left her mother with five children. At the time of his death, Esther was a few months old.

Upon the death of Esther’s father, Esther’s mother (Gladys) went through tough times with her five children. Her in-laws took her (Gladys’) belongings and sent them (Gladys and her children) away. The in-laws claimed that the properties belonged to their departed kin therefore Gladys and her children did not have a part in it. The newly widowed Gladys had to start life all over again.

Esther was very young when her mother went through the injustices from the in-laws. She was still a suckling baby. Her mother was jobless and so, opted to relocate to a more affordable shelter in the slum. She secured a single room made from sticks and mud. Esther and her siblings could spend their nights on the floor without any proper beddings.

Esther’s mother started looking for a job so as to care for both Esther’s and her siblings’ needs. She had tried a couple of other ventures but they were all unsuccessful. Like most women in the slum, Gladys could only get casual jobs since these jobs needed not elaborate qualifications. These jobs consist mainly of house laundry, weeding or harvesting in any available farm etc.

Through her hard work, Esther’s mother managed to take two of her children to school except for Esther. The responsibilities became too much for her against the earnings from her casual jobs. Esther used to stay at home while her siblings go to school. It was during these despondent times that Esther was referred to us by a member of the local community. She was admitted to EDGEL Academy in January 2023. She is jovial young girl.

Esther needs a sponsor.