Joshua

My name is Joseph and I was born in Kianda, Kenya in 2008. I live in one of the largest slums in Africa (Kibera) with my mother and two siblings. My mother works as a hawker in the slum, selling fruit on the roadside to support our family. The little income she earns is barely enough to pay for rent and food, so we often go without essential items because there isn’t enough money. My mother carries a bucket of fruit with her all day, selling each piece for a few cents. Some days she cannot sell a single piece of fruit, and my family goes without dinner. Throughout my primary education, I was sent home from school multiple times for not having a uniform or outstanding school fees. It was very difficult for me to study due to these challenges and disruptions, but I still managed to score very high marks in my final exams in 2022!

I hope to study a medical degree at university so that I can become a doctor. I dream of helping the sick people in Kenya who are too poor to access healthcare.