A JOURNEY OF HOPE AND RESILIENCE, KENYA
Purity Nekesa
My name is Purity Nekesa, a 22-year-old and the first born in a family of six. I was born and raised in Mukuru Kayaba slum in Nairobi, Kenya, where we lived in a single-room house made of iron sheets. Unlike other children, I never had the privilege of meeting my father. After completing my primary education, I joined St. Michael’s High School, a school dedicated to providing quality education to children from Mukuru settlement. Life was tough for my single mother, who had to pay my school fees—$250 per term—while also catering to my siblings' education and providing food for the family. Without a stable income, she relied on casual jobs, mainly doing laundry in estates, to make ends meet.
During my final year of high school, I applied for the AGF Scholarship and was fortunate to be accepted. That moment marked a turning point in my life, filling me with hope and the certainty that I could pursue higher education. After high school, I joined an internship program as part of AGF’s pathway, which lasted a year. This experience allowed me to interact with professionals from various fields while also receiving a monthly stipend that helped me support my family with food. It was during this time that I discovered my deep passion for changing lives and empowering others.
Determined to make a difference, I chose to study Social Work and Community Development at the university. Today, thanks to AGF’s full sponsorship, I am pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies—a step that will enable me to uplift my community and transform the lives of young women just as AGF transformed mine. Through the AGF’s initiative, I have realized my potential and actively participated in issues affecting Mukuru slum, such as the demolition of informal settlements, where I took part in public discussions and voiced my thoughts on the matter.
I am forever grateful to the Fidel Götz Foundation, and in honour of its vision, I am committed to becoming a woman of impact in my community. Regardless of the challenges ahead, I will work to create the positive change we so desperately need.