Ruth Nyakerario’s story

Ruth grew up in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, in a town called Embakasi. Ruth recalls relocating several times, and estimates she attended more than five primary schools. Aged 8, she would travel for over three hours each way to get to her school. However, as her mother was a primary school teacher, the value of education was never lost upon Ruth, and she performed well in her primary school exams. This enabled her to attend a state-funded boarding school. Ruth went on to become one of only two students to receive a scholarship to attend one of the oldest private universities in Kenya, the United States International University.

Ruth studied International Relations, which opened her eyes to the issues caused by socio-economic divide that affect people across the African continent. Ruth and her friend, Viney Gisore, co-founded Out of the Streets with a commitment to ensure homeless children in Kenya get an education, food, empowerment, clothing, and, if possible, a chance to be re-united with their families. The programme started in Feburary 2015 with Viney and Ruth cooking self-funded hot meals and sharing lunch and a few hours with the children every week.

The foundation also established a centre in a very deprived area called Majengo, and would run weekend education sessions for 50 to 60 children

By 2016, the foundation had expanded with more volunteers and started running medical camps, serving more than 1,000 people, mostly children, but also members of the wider community in slum areas in Nairobi. The foundation also established a centre in a very deprived area called Majengo, and would run weekend education sessions for 50 to 60 children, most of whom were not in school during the week. They also had arts and spiritual sessions, enabling kids to open up and share their aspirations; this became a turning point for some. Many of the children were also addicted to sniffing glue. Alongside their other initiatives, the foundation would identify the children they thought were recovering and help fund their rehab.

Ruth applied for and was successful in receiving a Rhodes Scholarship, which funded her education at Oxford. In her first year, Ruth read Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and in her second year undertook a further Master’s in African Studies. Ruth still intends to go back to community work and her Out of The Streets team is working towards establishing their own rehab centre.