Family Thoughts

Okay, I rarely blog about family but today I make an exception. I support my family financially. I've taken care of them for all the years I've been working and it's no easy task running two households - in London and in Kenya. Anyway, it was never going to last forever, and I'm so happy things are looking up. I'm soooo happy for my sister Deborah (she prefers Debra, but hey, Deborah was the original spelling. We call her Willi as she's also named after my grandma, Wilfrida). See, she's at Daystar University in Kenya, studying Media/Communications. A Media/communications degree in Kenya is still very highly marketable and gives opportunities to wonderful work prospects, as opposed to a degree in Media/Communications in the UK which doesn't really amount to much and is considered by many as a cop-out (I may be wrong here, but it's the general perception I get). Anyway, it's been a massive struggle for me as I've been sponsoring her tuition fees, but there's always light at the end of the tunnel: Afrizo. She performs with this university group and they are scheduled to tour the US in the Autumn to raise sponsorship funds for themselves and others otherwise not able to attend college. Anyway, long story short - they went for their US visas today and she succeeded! She got a US visa! This makes me so happy because it signals a blessing that is two fold. Willi gets to go out into the world and work for a good cause that'll guarantee her place in college till her degree is completed, and my brother, Victor gets to get a chance at a degree he so needs to get a foot in on employment. Victor has had a raw deal. He spent years in college, studying IT and various components of computer technology but unfortunately, the college he chose only awarded diplomas. Diplomas don't get people jobs in Kenya, it seems. Not in IT anyway. So, Victor has only really done volunteer work for the past few years, and none ends up with paid employment. He keeps at it though, to keep abreast with the fast moving world of IT but it's not the same as employers sending an employee to a course so as to keep abreast with what's new. He's fallen way behind, sigh. However, light at the end of the tunnel - Victor got a place at a University in January and still has his place on a degree course of some sort (IT/engineering type degree), but what has stopped him attending is fees. I just couldn't sponsor him and Willi too. I feel the need to sponsor him as he's feeling low and discouraged. He sounds discouraged. He looks discouraged. I feel bad for him. He needs an opportunity. So, with Willi sorted, Victor will get a computer first and foremost, and if still no sponsors come through for him in January 2010, I'll take a deep breath and sponsor him. A break between now and then will get me prepared for it, but hey, one can't deny the value of education, so as hard as it may be, I'll do it for my brother.

Why am I blogging about this? I don't know. I guess it is one of my quests - getting an education. My brother really, really wants one and I'll help him get one. And pray that like my sister Willi, he'll get a sponsorship opportunity and give me a break in about a year or so, please God.