Written by Isaiah K, HHFL IT & Communications Admin
The year 2005 gave birth to HHFL in a very heart-moving and unimaginable manner when Hanne (we have got used to calling her Mama Hanna or just MH) and Ted(we call him Papa Tango or just PT) set foot in the Lenana slum. To them it was part of their itinerary for their Kenyan safari and they needed to have a feel of what life in a Kenyan slum looks like. Little did they know that there lay ahead of them: a task greater than just an ordinary adventure – the start of a lifelong engagement with the slum community. For more about this encounter, please take a listen by clicking This Link
Over the years, we have seen a tremendous growth across the different ages of our children, and we have thought of sharing one of our areas of pride – the sprouting HHFL families. These are stories of the ‘once upon a time’ little kids and teens that entered through the gates of the organization, received an all-rounded upbringing that encompasses both academic, extra curricular and life skills coaching and now they are running their independent lives not just as adults, but also being responsible mothers and fathers.
They are quite a bunch and to avoid tiresome long blogs, we have decided to break the feature in parts. It is our hope that by sharing this, we are showcasing to the world what can be achieved when hands come together to respond to the plight of the less privileged in the society and at the same time celebrate these young men and women while we inspire their younger HHFL siblings that they too will one day rise above the odds if they keep their eyes on the ultimate prize.
Alice Kangwato:
“I am married to Michael Kilonzi. He is a registered clinical officer(RCO) and works with the city county government of Nairobi. He also runs his own private clinic. He is an amazing dad to our kids and a very loving husband to me. “
“We are blessed with two kids – Christian, our son is 10yrs old and will be joining 5th grade next year. Angel, our daughter is joining preschool in 2024. She turns 3 in January.”
“I am Michael’s business partner in his clinic where I am in charge of supervision and accounts. The exposure I have enjoyed at the clinic has opened my eyes to the world of medicine and as a result, I plan to return to college and study nursing in the coming year if all goes well. I also work part time as a tour consultant for a tours and travel company. This is part of what I studied in college.”
“Family life has been beautiful despite the challenges that come with it. I give credit to HHFL for seeing me through life to self-reliance”
Simon Kanyenze
“I really love my family and it is the one that makes me work harder every single day. My wife, Brigit has studied beauty and she has been working in her salon before we got our 2nd born. She will be back to business soon as she has been giving all the attention to our newborn. My daughter Gladys is in grade 4. My son Austin Kitto is in play group and he is 3yrs old. Our youngest, Noah Mekhi is now 7 months old.”
“I have been a gym manager at the Mazoezi Gym in Langata here in Nairobi and I also do personal training with a good number of loyal clients who are regulars. Aside from fitness, I fell in love with painting and I have been using my spare time at home to make art pieces that I sell to clients. I am always proud of who HHFL enabled me to be. “
Sharon Akinyi
“I currently work at Kopokopo Limited as a Credit Officer. For the last few years I worked with Mkopa Solar Limited but moved out when Covid came and had many companies downscale their workforce in order to survive.”
“I have a son who is 8yrs old. His name is Basil Jones and he loves playing soccer. I am sharing a pic of him in the pitch. He is a very amazing person to me, and I wouldn’t trade motherhood with anything else from the journey I’ve had with my son. HHFL is my 2nd home and I am one proud alumnus”
Peter Maina
“I am a businessman, and a proud family man. I sell home appliances and household items in a town near the city. I am married to a beautiful wife and mother of our children, Mercy. We are blessed with two kids – Larry is 7yrs old and is in grade 3 at school. Christian is 2yrs.”
“In one of the pictures above is when I paid my mum a visit with my whole family. HHFL made a forever mark in my life”
Priscah Kalekye
“I founded an IT company! It is called Tishbyte Limited. We are doing well despite the hard economic challenges. This year, I got married in a church wedding to the love of my life – John.”
“He runs a personal business as his side hustle and he is also the finance officer at Sushine Primary and Secondary here in Nairobi. This far, marriage has been awesome and it feels great to be a family woman. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I enjoyed at HHFL.”
Above makes our 1st lot of stories in this series, and we will be sharing the rest of the parts through 2024. We look forward to your curiosity in hearing more and more about our successes!
