Eric joined the program in 2007 and was sponsored by Keith and Kathleen Kale. Since a young age, Eric has been a focused, dedicated student and has wanted to make his family proud. However, getting to where he is today hasn’t been easy.
Eric was raised by his mother. His father died when he was young. To make ends meet, Eric’s mother found occasional work near the slums such as working in a salon and making beadwork. With the work, Eric’s mother was able to rent a small two-roomed home in the slums. Home had iron sheets walls, no electricity or running water.
Eric’s mother instilled in her children a strong appreciation for education despite limited material goods.
Eric knew from a young age that his involvement in the Friends of Ngong Road Program, through which he gained access to education, was his vehicle to a transformed life for himself and his family too.
Eric attended G.S.U Primary School, one of our past partner primary schools, St. Joseph’s High School, and then graduated from Kenyatta University with a Degree in purchasing.
Throughout his post-secondary career, Eric was a standout employee at Digital Divide Data, a company Friends of Ngong Road has partnered with in Nairobi with a very similar mission. They provide supplemental income and employment experience for promising secondary school graduates and have included some of our students. Eric’s role at Digital Divide Data was to transcribe handwritten articles to an electronic format for clients such as museums and libraries. In return, Digital Divide Data helped pay for some of Eric’s university tuition.
Upon graduation, Eric was promoted as a full-time Project Manager at Digital Divide Data, managing team and client interactions. He is looking for a new apartment out of the slums. He has made it into the Kenyan middle class.
His sponsors Keith and Kathleen Kale said, “We are very proud of Eric and his accomplishments. By keeping steadily on track, he was able to work his way through university and get his degree. He worked so hard and so many hours, it is inspiring. Congratulations to this fine young man.”