A 2016 collaboration with the British nonprofit Porridge and Rice led to a two-part series documenting the positive impact of the organization on hundreds of families and teachers in Nairobi, Kenya. Their work encompasses health and access to education.
Deborah is 12 years old and has been at Lizpal since she could walk. This energetic girl likes learning Kiswahili more than any other subject, especially traditional poems through which she learns important lessons. She writes poems herself. She admires many actresses because they make her laugh and show what a strong woman looks like. She would like to become an actress herself to inspire children to be confident and make something good of their life. If she can’t be an actress, she would like to become a journalist, another way for people to know who she is and have a positive influence.
She believes that education is necessary in order to become successful in life. Before PaR started supporting Lizpal, Deborah would get to school feeling hungry as her breakfast consisted of only a cup of tea. She would struggle to focus and wouldn’t score well at tests, which made her think she wasn’t smart at all. Now, PaR gives her access to good food and to books. She can now study better and her grades improved drastically. Her teachers at Lizpal showed what leadership is and she knows she would make a great president.
“What is your favorite time of the day?” We asked.
“To see people do good things to each other, to be kind and responsible” she said.