The Maseno Child Development Center is one of the oldest centers in the Lake Victoria region of Kenya. I am here to meet Evans, one of the first students to be registered back in 1987.

Evans arrives at the center’s main office and is dressed in a neat navy blue suit, a patterned shirt and tie to match. His current occupation as a high school teacher has him used to wearing a jacket, even on a sunny day like today.

As we sit under the shade of the tall tree outside the office, he tells me of a day he vividly remembers.

“When Compassion staff came to visit, I was at Ematsi Primary, my local school. They looked for poor children, especially the orphaned and those from broken homes. Though I had both parents, we were just as lowly as many other children in the village. I was the 47th pupil to be picked.”

The first gift he was given really surprised him. He shares,

“I received a financial gift from my sponsor and I bought a goat that soon gave birth. When more goats had been born we sold the goats and bought a cow.”

This became the family’s special cow. In Evans’ area, where small-scale agriculture is the main occupation, the gift of a goat was a huge leap forward for the family of seven who struggled to earn money.

Evans grew up during a time of critical political and socio-economic change at both a local and national level in Kenya. But during this time, Evans had other challenges to confront beyond politics.

“I remember that food was scarce. People fought for food.”

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