Breaking Barriers: From Poverty to Global Dreams Through Education

A scholarship changed my life and opened up new opportunities I had never dreamed were possible. Years later, as the director of Light Up Hope’s WOVEN program, I’ve been able to give a similar helping hand to hundreds of girls with backgrounds like my own.

Rebecca Magire leads the WOVEN general meeting for Light Up Hope. (Credit: Gracious Aganda/Light Up Hope)

A Childhood Defined by Poverty

The memory of my first day in school is forever etched in my mind. As the youngest in a family of six, my enrollment into school was less about readiness and more about necessity. 

With no one in my family having gone beyond high school, and with most of my older siblings already assisting my mother as market vendors, I saw few examples of education as a pathway to transformation. Poverty was not just a condition we lived in: it shaped the way we viewed our potential.

In my classroom, there were approximately 120 students, all under the guidance of one overstretched teacher. Homework was rare, and absenteeism carried no consequences. With little oversight or encouragement, children like me were left to drift through the system.

And yet, academics came easily to me. I retained almost everything I learned in class without extra effort. Even with no support, I consistently ranked among the top students, eventually excelling in the national primary school examinations.

Despite this accomplishment, the idea of transitioning to secondary school seemed unrealistic. We had no money for fees, and my family simply assumed I would join my mother in the market like my siblings before me.

Rebecca Magire, as a child, poses with her father.

A Scholarship That Opened the World

What changed everything was the compassion and initiative of my deputy principal. She brought me the application forms for a scholarship program and encouraged my mother to allow me to apply. That single act opened a door I didn’t even know existed.

I was selected for that scholarship and later received direct sponsorship from a German couple. These opportunities enabled me to enroll in the prestigious Parklands Arya Girls High School. 

There, I came face-to-face with a world entirely different from my own.

The girls around me spoke of family businesses, future travels, and ambitious career goals. I, on the other hand, was still wrapping my head around the idea that I might not have to sell vegetables in the market for the rest of my life.

Their ambitions made me feel small—not because I wasn’t intelligent, but because I had never been encouraged to dream. That environment opened my eyes not only to the reality of my upbringing, but also to the vast world of possibilities that existed beyond it.

Struggles, Setbacks, and Finding Strength

After completing high school with strong grades, I was admitted to Kenyatta University, one of the top universities in Kenya. For my family, this was nothing short of a miracle. I was the first in my household not only to complete high school but to qualify for university. The pride we all felt on the day I reported to campus was indescribable.

But university turned out to be one of the most difficult chapters of my life. I was ill-prepared for its academic rigor and its social and emotional pressures. By 2018, I was on academic probation, emotionally exhausted, and turning to alcohol to escape my feelings of failure and confusion.

I cannot pinpoint the exact moment everything changed. What I do know is that in 2019, I made the difficult but necessary decision to pause my education and reevaluate my life. Stepping away from school felt like failure at first, but in hindsight, it was the beginning of a transformative healing process.

Over the next two years, I committed myself to understanding where I had gone wrong. I realized that while I was intelligent, I had never been taught how to dream big or prepare for success. I lacked role models, mentorship, and the informational resources needed to thrive in a complex world.

After years of rebuilding, I returned to Kenyatta University and graduated. More importantly, I emerged with an inner strength, clarity of purpose, and a profound understanding of resilience.

Weaving a Future for Others

After graduating, I felt compelled to give back—to help others along the path that had been so challenging for me. I found that opportunity with Light Up Hope’s WOVEN program. I saw myself reflected in the WOVEN girls: talented and driven, yet needing mentorship and opportunity to fully unlock their potential. That realization became the foundation for everything I have built at WOVEN.

Drawing from my own experiences, I designed a program that not only addressed the academic needs of young women but also created a holistic ecosystem of mentorship, financial empowerment, and career readiness. Over the past four years, I led WOVEN’s growth from serving 36 students annually to now impacting 100 girls every year. Under my leadership, the program raised graduation rates from 60 percent to an impressive 97 percent. Academic performance also improved significantly, with 90 percent of our students now achieving above-average results and 70 percent attaining honors in their studies.

Recognizing the financial vulnerabilities I once faced, I championed entrepreneurship and savings initiatives within WOVEN. Today, 90 percent of our students actively save, and 70 percent of them have transformed those savings into micro-investments, ventures such as animal rearing, cosmetics businesses, and clothing shops. To further bridge opportunity gaps, I spearheaded the launch of the WOVEN Business Hub Grant, enabling outstanding students to fund their entrepreneurial ventures or pursue professional certifications.

Finally, I led WOVEN into meaningful institutional partnerships with three major Kenyan universities—University of Eldoret, University of Nairobi, and Kenyatta University—to strengthen our academic and mentorship pipeline and extend our impact to women across Kenya.

As I prepare to travel to Germany to further my education, I know that every opportunity is a gift. What began as my personal struggle as a talented but adrift young woman has now become a movement that uplifts others. My leadership at WOVEN has transformed not just statistics, but real lives, proving that when young women are given structure, exposure, and mentorship, they can rise beyond their circumstance and lead change in their own communities.

Rebecca delivers a speech on gender equality. (Credit: Gracious Aganda/Light Up Hope)

Your Support Can Make a Difference

Join us in helping young women like Rebecca by supporting Light Up Hope’s WOVEN program. As this story shows, vulnerable students need mentorship, guidance, and exposure to dream beyond survival. Together, we can nurture resilient leaders who will change their communities.