His own life was changed by a teacher who stepped in and helped him keep studying. He never forgot that. After years working abroad, he came back with one aim: to offer young women in the slum the same kind of chance he'd been given.
He started with his own savings, some volunteers, and a couple of old sewing machines. He had no funding, no organisation behind him, just a clear idea about what was needed and enough stubbornness to get it off the ground. He called it Second Chance for Young Ghetto Ladies.
We met Philip in February 2025 through the recommendation of our contact Vicente who was in Nairobi at the time. He had already opened two centres, but one had closed; his savings were gone and there was nothing left to keep it running. It was obvious he had something real, so we stepped in.
We started by covering two teachers' salaries, then added daily porridge for the children. Things grew from there. Today the centre runs sewing and hairdressing courses for 60 women, most of them single mothers, five days a week. In January 2026, a registered school opened for 40 of their children. Over 100 people pass through the doors every day.
Philip is shy, by all accounts. His wife scolds him for never being home. He has a small livestock farm and a family to look after. But he keeps showing up because, growing up here, he knows what happens when nobody else does.
