grass to Grace

Esther G. Njuguna, 22 years old is the firstborn in a family of seven siblings.  She is a first year undergraduate student at Africa International University (AIU), pursuing a Business Administration degree.  This young lady is committed and zealous about working with people.  Her being in AIU is truly miraculous.  Though she is still new in the university, this has not hindered her from serving the AIU community.  She is a dedicated Sunday school teacher and heartily says that she has a passion to develop children who will learn to be independent early in their future.  She has also joined a youth group at AIU and a group meant to work with a new organization known as Serve the City that aims to impact the lives of needy people within Nairobi, such as prisoners and orphans.

Esther’s family were victims of Kenya’s 2007-2008 post-election violence.  Her father, who had been working as an ordinary businessman at the Cheptiret Center in Eldoret, had his entire business destroyed.  Her mother, who earned a meager income from her daily business in the marketplace had a two-week old baby and was thus weak.  This was an extremely difficult time for her family.  Esther, together with the other six children and her parents, were forced to live in a small tent at Eldoret Showground.  It was a very cold, rainy season and water would often flood into the tents, but they had no choice but to remain there.

Esther was due to join form three in January, 2008.  However she was unable to take up her place due to lack of school fees and spent the following months living in the showground.  During this period, Esther would spend most of her time in her local World Wide Gospel Church, Eldoret, either praying or cleaning the church surroundings. 

She experienced a miracle in September, 2009 when she received a check to pay for her school fees enabling her to join form three at Wareng High School, Eldoret in the third term.  During this term, both parents were jobless so there was little money for meals at home.  Her dad continued to suffer from post-traumatic stress and remained unemployed.  Esther would therefore go to school and at the same time use her talent for hair-plaiting at the IDP grounds to earn some money to help feed her family.

Alongside all the tough struggles, she also had to undergo an operation for an umbilical Hernia. She was in much pain but had to walk 8 kilometers daily to and from school since the family could not afford transport.  Despite everything, Esther managed to score a mean grade of C+ in her form four national exams.  In Ester’s view she owes it all to the Almighty God. She had always wanted to join a university or college, nonetheless this was just a dream since she could not even manage the expense of a computer college that offered full courses for $300.00 yet she really wished to.

However, Esther’s path to a brighter future opened up the day Rev. Grace Uteri together with pastor Rev. Wangila from AIU were invited to her local church for a revival.  She got to interact with Rev. Grace who informed her about AIU scholarships and gave her forms to fill in.  Esther did this, and asked a few questions about the courses offered at AIU, yet in her mind she knew that joining a university institution could barely become a reality.  Hardly two weeks after submitting the forms, she received an admission letter for AIU with a scholarship for her tuition fees from Christian Leaders for Africa (CLA), and organization that partners with AIU.  She was therefore able to join AIU in September, 2011.

Esther’s family cannot provide for her university education since the little amount they get is used to feed the large family.  Her scholarship covers only the tuition fees; she therefore hoes that seeking to cover other expenses such as food and rent will not disrupt her studies and attendance.  Esther says that in everything she has learned that one’s family cannot be the only source of provision, one can still succeed through help that comes totally from an outsider.  Therefore it is her future desire to continue helping others in society.  Also, for her it is all about God.  He is her greatest sustainer and wants to serve Him all the days of her life.  Her favorite Bible verse that keeps her strong is Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul”.

If you would like to help Esther with her living expenses at AIU you can make a tax deductible contribution at www.clafrica.com.