David Oginga

Bold Question: How might we ensure every student in Huruma graduates with skills to earn a living and to thrive?

Path to Metis: David envisions a Kenya where all children regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds, can access quality education and be molded into the individuals they ought to be. It is only in this way that every “mwananchi” will be able to play their role and build a better Kenya. The challenges he faced in his own life growing up, pertaining to a lack of funds to ensure the start and continuity of college education, uniquely positioned him for his role today. For him, it doesn’t end with admitting a child to school but ensuring that the child remains in school and reaches the highest level of education attainable, to allow them to reach their full potential.

David’s early training as a community mobilizer and peer educator birthed the desire to bring change to the community and environment he was born and raised in. In 2005 he founded Furaha Community Centre, a self-help group and resource centre that aimed to bring the Mathare/Huruma community together to ensure that children got a better environment to study, learn and be themselves.

Over the next 14 years, Furaha Community Centre metamorphosized from a self-help group to a community-based organization and presently, to a non-governmental organization. Adopting the name Furaha Community Foundation, they support the Huruma/Mathare community with a fully functional primary school and secondary boarding school to serve a selected group of orphaned and vulnerable children of the community, united by poverty. Were it not for Furaha Community Foundation, these children would probably not have a chance of fully developing their potential nor be able to see the world beyond their living environment. His team focuses on ensuring that high quality education is accessible to the children admitted into their programme and that the children are kept in school.

They also ensure that based on their academic ability and talents, they reach the highest level of education, self-awareness, skills that will position them for impact in all their future endeavors. David strives to make the program even better by making it possible to admit more children through access to more resources and the replication of the program in other parts of the country. David possesses over 15 years’ multifaceted experience leading community development programs, strategic vision and long-range planning, international development and partner relationships.

More About David: Furaha Community Foundation Furaha and When I Grow Up Partnership LinkedIn