When you lift up women, you lift up humanity Benedetta

Benedetta is one of our amazing Education Sponsorship students and this is her story:

In February 2000 I was born in a village called Kirathani in Ithanga, and I was named Benedetta after my grandmother. My urge for books began when I was three years old. My dad would teach me how to write the numbers 1-20 and the alphabet by writing them on the ground with a stick. In my village, schools were very strict about the age for joining school. You could not start nursery below the age of five years and neither would you join class one before the age of six years. Upon reaching five years, I was ready for nursery and by the time I was six years I had joined class one. I finished my primary level in Tito Primary School, Ndithini, having scored 352 marks in my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, Then thanks to the Royal African Foundation helping me, I was able to join Mumbi Girls High School for secondary level.

I had always dreamt of becoming a judge. During my childhood back home, I used to read up on court cases and try and predict how they would go.

Growing up in a society where the less fortunate have no voice against a particular class of people is something I really want to help eradicate. Equality for all people regardless of their ethnicities or background is something I really want to fight for. This triggered my dreams of becoming a judge, not just a judge of the state but also a judge for those in fear of airing their voices.

I completed my secondary education in 2018 but I did not attain the grades I needed, but, before giving up, I had the option of being a paralegal student in Kenya School of Law and, with the foundation’s support, I went for it. I am so grateful to be studying at Kenya School of Law. I am now in my final year of a Diploma in Law, and I hope to continue my studies in law after this, and I still hope one day I may become a judge, or a lawyer helping those in need of justice. 

I am also particularly passionate about helping young homeless people who have lost faith in humanity and have therefore adopted criminal activities as their mode of survival. I have been volunteering at shelters since I was in high school and a personal goal of mine is to start an institution that will help them and offer them legal services so they can have a second chance. 

We are really proud to be supporting such a special young lady, we look forward to continuing to support her and we have no doubt she will continue to help change many people’s lives for the better.