From Kenya to Australia: A full-circle sponsorship story

Nancy’s early childhood

All kids deserve joyful childhoods, full of opportunity and stability. Yet poverty and gender inequality often deny children food, water and healthcare. This turns life into a struggle no child should ever face.

As a child in Kenya, Nancy missed out on the joys of childhood. Her parents separated when she was little. Her mother married a man and uprooted the family to live in his home, a traditional hut with no running water. The water they drank was brown like tea and came from a pond.

In her new community, Nancy had to learn the Maasai language, culture and traditions to get by. She was also expected to tend to their family's cattle, sheep and goats—hundreds of them. She spent her days making sure the animals were well cared for and happy, while her own dreams stagnated.

Growing up without a support system

Nancy saw that women and girls did back-breaking work in their community. They walked up to 10 kilometres every day to bring water back for their families. They tended their herds but had no say in how the animals were used or sold. Most girls were married off as teenagers.

Nancy must have often wondered if this was how her life would also unfold.

Although Nancy went to school, her stepfather wasn't supportive. In fact, he refused to buy her a school uniform to discourage her from going. Nancy felt that the problem went beyond her household and into the community. Girls in general were not encouraged to go to school, despite her ability to do well in her studies.

"A girl was considered—and maybe still considered—inferior to a boy," Nancy said.

But Nancy refused to cover up her own brilliance to let other students shine. “Because I used to be top in school, [the community complained] that the teachers were adding all the boys’ marks to ‘this girl,’” Nancy recalled. “I was not supposed to be bright, brighter than the boys.”

She continued to face challenges at school due to her gender. As she grew older, more girls left school to get married. By the time she was 15, Nancy was the only girl left in her class.

Without support at home and her community, it would have been easy for Nancy to give up on finishing school. But Nancy wanted more for herself. She wanted to graduate from high school and avoid a future as her own family’s water fetcher.

Thanks to Georgie, she did.

Nancy receives a life-changing gift

Our story moves to Australia, where 20-year-old Georgie lived with her parents. She watched a World Vision documentary one day and was moved to sponsor a child. She didn’t tell anyone what she did. Nor did she ask for permission. But when she received Nancy’s photo and letter in the mail, she knew she did the right thing.

We asked Georgie about her sponsorship experience decades later. “It was just about giving,” Georgie said simply, “and it was about me hoping that I could make a difference.”

One of the first things Nancy received as Georgie’s sponsored child was a new school uniform. It was her first in three years.

Nancy remembered opening the package. “I was so excited!” she said. The words caught in her throat as she began to weep. “Because somebody cared to buy me a uniform.”

Georgie continued to send letters and pictures to Nancy about her daily life, along with messages of hope and affirmation. Those letters were a lifeline to young Nancy.

Growing up, she was led to believe that something was wrong with her for wanting more out of life. Georgie changed that mindset.

“I felt like there’s someone out there who cares,” said Nancy. “Who does not judge me. And who is interested in me.”

Where are Nancy and Georgie now?

As a child tending animals in rural Kenya, Nancy dreamed of going to school. Today, she’s a humanitarian aid worker with degrees in veterinary medicine, and project planning and management from the University of Nairobi.

Her skills led her to manage emergency response efforts in Ethiopia and South Sudan. In northern Kenya, she worked on agricultural and livestock programs. In 2018, she joined an international development agency to lead emergency responses in East Africa.

Despite her many career achievements, Nancy is proudest of one thing: her high school diploma. “Even more than my master’s degree,” Nancy explained. “Because this was the turning point in my life and proved that I could do anything I wanted.”

In Australia, Georgie watched Nancy’s video update in amazement. “That was more than I expected and more than I would have ever wanted,” she said, wiping away her tears.

“Yes, I know…I was hoping at least that I was helping,” she continued. “But I had no idea to what extent that would go.”

Referring to the video, Georgie said tearfully, “Thanks for showing me that. It’s made me feel so humble.”

Sponsorship brings lasting change

For Nancy, sponsorship was more than just a school uniform. Sponsorship was the spark that transformed the whole community. That’s because for every child sponsored, four more children in the community benefit.

With Georgie’s support, Nancy survived a hard childhood and thrived. Thanks to generous sponsors, 2,400 children in the community did the same. Together, they helped bring lasting change to the community:

• Improved access to education: children received uniforms, school supplies and school bags. Sponsorship also helped build new classrooms and cover school tuition for students like Nancy.
• Clean water and hygiene: new water tanks were built at the school to ensure children had reliable access to safe water and hygienic facilities.
• Health and nutrition: support for health clinics ensured that children received regular health exams.
• Advocacy and protection: children learned their rights and resisted inequality. Today, there are just as many girls enrolled in school as there are boys.
• Economic empowerment: community-based programs helped parents gain valuable skills to lift them out of poverty, freeing their children to go to school and focus on their futures.

Like Georgie, thousands of Canadians have found deep fulfillment by sponsoring a child like Nancy. You can too. Children across the world are waiting for someone to come alongside them, encourage their dreams and help bring change to their communities.

Sponsor a child through World Vision Canada and help them experience life in all its fullness. With you, they can rise above poverty and reach their full potential—just like Nancy.