Not so long ago, Moesha Kibibi was nervous about the future, terrified of what was coming, paralyzed with fear that she might be doing the wrong thing and may never make anything out of herself. She knows the poverty mud thousands of Kenyans are wading in better than anyone.
At one point, her future seemed bleak and she had sunk so deep into a black hole of despair, that she could feel it engulfing her, choking her dream almost to death.
At a tender age, Moesha was chased away from home after her strict parents made her choose between dancing and her education. She chose the latter.
This of course came with dire consequences so one night she returned home to find herself locked out and at 13, Moesha had no choice but to fend for herself in the streets of Majengo, Nairobi.
During the day, she would sell groundnuts. At night, she would gang up with other street children to sleep at the space her dance group used for practicing. This exposed her to unforeseen dangers where she escaped rape not once, not twice but four times.
There are millions of people who go through what Moesha went through every single day-but often the world romanticises these types of hardships.
We sensationalize the struggle, make movies about it, dress it up in pretty bows and we give it a soft name 'hustle'. Not too shy, not too aggressive.
In reality, only a few people are able to make it out of a life where the next day is so unpredictable they cannot make plans, a life where the choice between life and death is made every day.
Fast forward to 2019, Moesha made it and is now helping over 2500 girls wade through the murky waters of poverty.
She reached out to Safaricom through Ndoto Zetu, an initiative that aims at positively transforming lives of communities across Kenya.
Through the initiative, Safaricom promised to sponsor 18 girls from her organisation for five years as a commemoration of the company’s 18-year stint in Kenya.
In that way, Moesha was able to hand the needy girls the lifeline they needed. The girls' eyes are now open to possibilities – that there are answers out there waiting for them to find, that there are empty desks and incomplete teams and people waiting for them to join.
Safaricom also opened its doors to more Kenyans who have the heart and compassion to come to the rescue of people who without assistance, would be in the same pitch black hole that Moesha skedaddled.
In the spirit of Nawe Kila Wakati and inspired by everyday Kenyans who are making a positive impact on those around them; Safaricom partnered with individuals to bring 500 community dreams to life.
Is there something you have dreamt of actualizing for your community? You can follow Safaricom’s lead to work with like-minded citizens because the greatest good you can do to someone, is not taking them there but lead them just a few steps in the right direction.
