“That day I began my first day of classes, I had no books or uniform l only had a broken half pencil.”

My name is Diana Kanyaare, Education never felt important as a Maasai girl, I felt like an asset of marriage. l was born in the year 2013 in a village called Nkineji. In my family, my two elder sisters were married young to old men, and l knew that the same thing would happen to me. My father was very strict, and he wanted his daughters to be married so he could collect the dowry. My parents are uneducated and thus didn’t work full-time jobs, so there was never consistent food or clothing at our house.

I still call my mother the hero of my life because she does everything for her children. Eventually, without my father’s knowledge, she took me to school to ensure I did not get married young. l was scared for my life and my mother’s life because my father hated school.

Destiny Shaper Primary school accepted me after my mother told the school how hard our life was. That day I began my first day of classes, I had no books or uniform l only had a broken half pencil. The headteacher gave me a notebook which l used for all five learning areas. l was mixing all my other subjects in the same book.

When I returned home, I found that my mother had been beaten; I cried bitterly. l told my mom that l would not go to school again so that she would not be beaten again, but she encouraged me that the war was over. And so, l have continued going to school each day since then.

“The day I received my scholarship, my mother and I could breathe more easily. My problems had ended, and it was all worth it.”

Now my mother is now building a dressmaking business with the help of Humans for Education. Her income is more stable now, and my siblings will soon be getting an education. She is now earning enough to provide for our family’s basic needs consistently, and we no longer have to worry about where our next meal will come from. Moreover, many of my friends have been able to attend high school because of the businesses that Humans for Education has built. Their programs have transformed our community, providing hope and opportunities where there were none before.

Even my dad is now happy that I am in school.