By Betsy Ramser Jaime
Millicent Nyokabi Maina, is a 30 year old woman from Kenya who is using education to transform her community. She is also married with two children and is passionate about education, running a school called, Bright Angels Nursery School.
She shares that, ‘I started the School with the aim of making sure children gain a quality education. I learnt that in this area there are so many schools of high standard and very expensive schools. Since most of the people in the area are not well up it is good to have a school which is not expensive for the poor who can not afford the expensive schools. Many children could not go to school because of their poor background. The Bright Angels Nursery School have given lot of children hope to join a school which they can afford with a quality foundation.’
Millicent first started her school in 2012 and at that time she had about 100 Students in preschool. She knows that parents prefer her school to others because their children will receive a good education for an affordable price.
When Millicent first started with Zidisha, she was planning to have 150 students and 10 teachers in the coming school year. Throughout her time with Zidisha, her lenders have helped her to grow her school by paying for teachers, school rent, and her own daily needs. So far, Millicent has successfully raised 7 Zidisha funded loans ranging from 2013-2018.
While obtaining her first loan of $100 she shared her big vision with lenders, ‘I wish to apply for a loan to improve my business of a nursery school. I have a passion in education and my aim is to make sure as many children can access a quality education in Africa. Kindly lenders bid for my loan to support me to create a good foundation for our people through education and help reduce the level of poverty in Kenya and Africa in general. I hope to take big loans in the future to improve my school. I look forward for your continuous cooperation and support.’
By the time Millicent had raised her fourth loan in April 2015, she was ready to expand and begin renovations on her school. With $819 from lenders she was able to get started on renovations and was also able to cover the costs for new equipment such as, ‘desks, chairs, and tables.’
The following year, in February 2016, she was prepared to continue expanding with one additional classroom and more desks, chairs and tables. And with $1,111 from her lenders, she was able to make this happen.
On Dec 11, 2017, Millicent kindly shared this update on her discussion page, ‘Dear lenders and Zidisha Team, I take this opportunity to thank you all for the great support, so far the School from one level to the other with your support, continue supporting us as we continue supporting the little children for the betterment of their future since they are the world leaders of tomorrow.’
So far, 2018 has been a big year for both Millicent and her school, with two substantial loans from Zidisha lenders. The first, in January 2018, for $1,736 allowed her to purchase a school van to transport her students. She explains, ‘The population of my school have increased tremendously and there is a need to provide transport services to students who come from far distances. This service will help me retain more students and make good returns for my business. I will add USD 2,000 from savings and buy a good Van worth USD 3700. Kindly support me in this worthy venture.’
Always ready to grow and educate as many students as she can, Millicent recently obtained a $1,909 loan from Zidisha lenders to buy a plot of land to build additional classrooms for her students.
Throughout the world, providing children with a quality education is often a challenge for parents, especially when they lack the financial resources. Through a combination of heart and grit, Millicent has been able to overcome this obstacle and provide a school that is desperately needed in her community.
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