The Light of Community

Daniel Mukinisu: Proud college graduation in teacher education.

The Light of Community

The more time I have spent in Kenya, the more I have come to value the concept of community and the importance of building strong relationships within the community. The light of community has been present since Marafiki started our work with Musembe school in 2012. None of this work would be possible without many people sharing their time and collective resources.

One of the recent examples is a major milestone for Musembe school and the surrounding community. Daniel Mukinisu was the first boy from Musembe primary school ever to go to high school, receiving one of the first scholarships to high school in 2014 from Marafiki’s scholarship program. Not only did Daniel successfully complete high school, but he also qualified for direct entry to college and was the first boy from Musembe to go to college and successfully finish! With the assistance of the community and Marafiki supporters, Daniel successfully graduated from Kisii University in December 2022 with a degree in secondary English teaching. When I asked him why he wanted to be a teacher, he said that he had several teachers along the way who had been inspirations and role models for him. That answer sure blessed this professor’s heart! The Musembe teachers describe Daniel as a young man of humility and discipline and they are so right! I was blessed to be able to travel to Kenya in early December to celebrate Daniel’s achievement with the Musembe community. It was a day-long celebration complete with speeches, encouragement to Daniel, cake, lunch, and plenty of visiting. As I said to the group who had gathered, we all had a part in Daniel’s success, and we will continue to help others along the way. Daniel is now a role model for other students within the Musembe community.

Eloise with Daniel:Musembe school’s first college graduate.