Success Story of Teresia Wangui Njoroge

Teresia Wangui Njoroge is aged 65 years and is an active member of the Town Grandmothers’ Support Group which she joined in 2011. She lives with her (2) grandchildren.  Among the two grandchildren, one is Patrick Kiarie who is HIV+ and a total orphan. Patrick is sponsored under the Children of Upendo Sponsorship Program (CUSP) and is currently studying Painting and Sign-Writing at Comboni Polytechnic in Gilgil Subcounty- Nakuru County. The other one grandchild is in high school form two (2) and solely depends on Teresia for her education and upkeep since her mother is not financially stable.

Teresia is a beneficiary of four (4) interest-free loans, a dairy goat, two (2) indigenous chicken and one (1) solar lamp from ASN Upendo Village. She used her first loan of Kshs20,000 which she got in April 2016 to boost her vegetable and fruit business before later acquiring a second loan of Kshs 5,000 in March 2017 to expand her small business. From the proceeds of her business, she managed to start constructing rental houses in her plot of land, which she had acquired as compensation from the Government after the 2008 tribal clashes and displacement. In February 2018 Teresia acquired another loan of Kshs25,000 which she used to continue with the construction of her rental houses. Later in October 2018, she acquired another loan of Kshs 25,000 which she used to complete the rental houses and which she has already repaid Ksh 20,000. From the rental houses and her business, Teresia has been able to cater for the educational and upkeep needs of her grandchildren. She has also empowered her daughter who is HIV₊ to open an open-air shop, from which she caters her financial needs and those of her children.  Teresia fully appreciates ASN Upendo Village and all its sponsors and benefactors for changing her life and that of her grandchildren, whose lives would have otherwise been doomed.