“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty and a building block of development.” These profound utterances by Kofi Annan are more than just words to Grace Wamuyu Mureithi, a third-year Law student at Riara University. They are truisms that underscore her life’s mission to empower young individuals to embrace leadership through literacy. 

Joining a Leadership Academy 

Grace’s journey into volunteering wasn’t a conventional one. In April 2022, during her long holiday, Grace happened to join an eight-month leadership academy that required her to find her “why” for doing what she does, take part in a project, and find a niche where she could volunteer. Knowing that volunteering is no mean feat, Grace sat with herself and searched within for the very things that make her happy. She wanted to volunteer for causes she would give herself to freely and not tire supporting even in years to come.  

She leaned on her law degree for guidance and decided to merge the global goal for sustainable development with her passion for human rights and children. Quality education became her go-to niche, a choice that was cemented by a gap she had identified way back in primary school. During these formative years of her education, Grace observed that education was very unidirectional and focused more on academics, often overlooking talents and the different abilities each child is gifted with. Her time to become the bridge connecting children to holistic education had come. 

Becoming a Teaching Assistant and More 

This led Grace to knock at the doors of Kibera Blessed Academy, a primary school on the outskirts of Kibera where she was welcomed with immense gratitude. Grace began by addressing the challenges she experienced in her early school years: low self-esteem and a lack of a mentor to coach her. She wanted to set the foundation of her volunteering service by spreading mental health awareness, a crucial element of literacy and excellence. 

Next, she set out to identify the talents of each of her pupils. At the core of this was to help these students sharpen their public speaking skills and bolster their confidence to express themselves. Along the way, Grace realised that the school was in dire need of teachers and other supportive personnel more than ever. This veered her original objective slightly off tangent, prompting her to reevaluate her volunteering plan. 

The task before Grace was heavy; it meant raising a pupil like one would a child, and she needed a village to lend her helpful pairs of hands. She approached some of her classmates who were good at teaching different subjects as she took on tutoring English and creative writing. Together, they helped the pupils reimagine their outlook on the different subjects. Grace ushered the students into a new, creative, and innovative world; she ensured that every student could reach the depths of their imagination without fear or intimidation. 

Impactful Volunteering

By the end of 2022, Grace and her team witnessed newfound confidence in the students. From just eight months of dedication and selflessness, students bounced on their feet, owned their spaces, and haloed in happiness and pride. This warmed Grace’s heart and inspired her to do even more. So, she recruited more volunteers to increase her impact. 

While her time at the leadership academy ended, Grace’s work at the school continues to date. Her attention might be engrossed in her law schoolwork, but Grace urges her team on as they continue the great work she started. Additionally, she empowers other young people to support impactful societal causes. She has crafted her brand to represent community service and is the go-to person when her fellow students are looking for leads to volunteering opportunities. 

Notably, Grace’s time at the school gave her a glimpse into life in Kibera and other low-income areas of Nairobi. Speaking with pupils during breaks and understanding their “whys” for what they do deepened her compassion for them. She hopes that everyone can make time to nurture the seeds of hope in children and nudge them to dream and watch themselves fly into sunsets and beautiful endings. 

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