Faith and Ruth (back) with their mother Rose (left) and six of their nine siblings at their home.

After four months at Neema, Faith and Ruth一together with the other students一went home for their two-week school break. These stepsisters’ home is a short distance away from Neema’s school in rural Kenya. With nine children under their parents’ roof, including a four-month-old, the family relies on casual work to put food on the table.

During break, Faith and Ruth reconnected with their siblings and happily took on the responsibility of household chores, not unlike what they are used to doing at Neema. They also showed their parents how to grow vegetables in cement bags—something they learned at Neema—which will be useful for them to provide enough food for their large family. This simple, yet efficient, way of farming will also help their family access better nutrition.

Faith and her sister Abigael, 5, at their home.

Faith and Ruth also brought home products they sewed during class and sold them in their local village. They’re learning to save the income they make to invest in their own sewing machine, which they’ll get at graduation in a few years.

Allowing their daughters to be at a school is a sacrifice for Ruth and Faith’s parents since the girls cannot help the family bring in additional income by doing casual labor. Many children in rural Kenya drop out of school because their families cannot pay the school fees, crushing their dreams of education. But after three years at Neema, Faith and Ruth’s skills in tailoring, dressmaking, and permaculture farming will be critical to helping provide for their parents and siblings.

After just a few months at Neema, Faith and Ruth are maturing individually, but are also starting to empower their family with new opportunities for self-sufficiency. Ruth’s father Elkana says, “Neema was brought by God—it’s a place of laughter. The children being at Neema is good for us since, when they graduate, they’ll be independent. They’ll come home and also help us and better our lives. That is our dream.”

Ruth intends to make the most of the opportunities she has at Neema: “Neema’s been giving us good food and a uniform. It is my first time to wear closed-toe shoes and a school sweater. I want to know how to make good dresses, and when I complete Neema, I want to open my own business so I can help my family.”

Providing vulnerable young women with skills training, counseling, and discipleship transforms not only their individual lives, but also extends to their families and communities.

Stepsisters Empowered to Lift Their Family Out of Poverty