Fence a new play field and purchase a computer for my school

Joyce    Mar 26, 2019

I am now comfortable paying more, reducing the repayment period and eventually the overall amount due.

Joyce    Feb 13, 2019

Due to financial constraints

Joyce    Jun 30, 2015

I am so sorry that I have been unable to repay as per schedule.

There has been slow business growth, as most people around where I pioneered the school seemed to prefer public schools which offer free primary education.

I have had to relocate the business to an area approx. 2KM away, where the neighbourhood seems better able to appreciate what we offer - Once I overcome these initial challenges, I will readjust my payments upwards, and complete repayment within a shorter period.

Hope2012    May 14, 2015

Hi do you have any contact with Joseph Mbugua Githiji ? ,not to put him under pressure just wondering how he and his family are. Thanks

Henry    Mar 19, 2015

congratulation joice in your business, keep it up.

Joyce    Mar 6, 2015

Dear Zidisha Team,

I kindly request to adjust my weekly installment downwards as I have been struggling financially since January.

My husband, who has been the main financier for key expenditure items in the school has been out of employment for three months, which led me to channel any revenue coming from school fees to fixed unavoidable expenses like teachers' salaries, rent, and utilities.

This affected my ability to repay the Zidisha loan as earlier scheduled.

Fortunately, he succeeded to get employed and started working again on 1st March.

It will take approx. 30-60 days to fully recover as we also have arrears on some of the mentioned fixed expenses but I plan to readjust my weekly amounts upwards as soon as the situation improves.

I greatly appreciate the far you have assisted my business.

Joyce    Jan 18, 2015

Please allow me to reduce my weekly installments to Ksh.300 for a few months. This is because we are currently strained as a family due to medical expenses incurred by our mom who's on medication. The school opened on 6th January but most parents could not raise the first fees installment due to the over-expenditures over the Christmas festivities.

I'll raise my repayment installments once we stabilize financially. I'll forever be grateful to the far I've come with Zidisha.

jan73    Dec 25, 2014

Good wishes for health, joy, and prosperity to you and your family and your school in 2015!

• Joyce    Jan 2, 2015

  Thanks for the this! My family and I wish you a great 2015.

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DocHolliday    Nov 6, 2014

Hello - I'm glad to see all the photos!
I wonder if you can tell me how things are going for Miss Yego these days? Thank-you!

• Joyce    Nov 7, 2014

  Hello DocHolliday;
  
  Thanks for the compliment!
  I have been trying to get Miss Yego for a number of months but I've not managed to get her since her phone doesn't go through but I'll keep on trying and give you feedback soonest I get her.

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Joyce    Nov 6, 2014

I wish to reduce my weekly installments to Ksh. 1000 for the next two months. This is to enable me stabilize financially due to an over expenditure in my mum's hospital bills. As a school we are also breaking for two months for Christmas holidays according to Kenyan system.

I'll resume my normal installments installments as soon as we re-open the school.

I'm forever grateful to Zidisha lenders.

Joyce    Oct 18, 2014

Dear TheWhiteCat

Teresia's phone is always off so I've only been in communication with the lady who invited her to join Zidisha who says Teresia is well but her business has not yet picked up well.

TheWhiteCat    Oct 17, 2014

Dear Joyce

Any news of Teresia (Loan www.zidisha.org/loan/6055)?

Best regards

The White Cat

Susmiati    Oct 13, 2014

success always for you. check my proposal is also yes. thank you.

• Joyce    Oct 13, 2014

  Thanks Susmiati. Sure and I like your PS proposal. It is a great one! Wishing you all the best!

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Joyce    Oct 13, 2014

Dear Lenders, I'm glad to report that we managed to fence the field and set up the swimming pool and we also bought a refurbished desktop computer and printer with the loan amount I got.

We are now able to print out kids' worksheets and they can now swim once the weather becomes favorable.
Thanks to all the lenders for your generosity.

Joyce    Aug 2, 2014

Dear Lenders,

Thanks a lot for fully funding my third loan. I really appreciate and pray that you may prosper in all you do!

DavidHenning    Jul 10, 2014

Dear all,

Joyce Njeru is a woman who acts when she is dissatisfied with her surroundings, and completely commits and sacrifices herself to what she believes in.

When the teachers in kindergarten did not even realise that one of Joyce’s children really had hurt herself as there were too many children to keep control of, Joyce realised that something had to be done. She could not stand there passively and simply accept such neglect. However, she could also not blame the teachers; there were simply too many kids to keep control of. Having worked as an administration helper at a school for 8 years, she decided to start her own kindergarten. In January this year, with the great support of her husband, Joyce rented a simple 3 bedroom house and a small field, thereby opening her own kindergarten, the Joy Nairobi School.

She tells me that only the most expensive kindergartens (and schools) in Kenya provide good individual support, in the rest of them there are so many children per staff, that individual support becomes impossible. Joyce’s aim is to create a kindergarten where the children feel safe and warm, a place the children can call home, for an affordable price. This requires experienced teachers and low children per staff ratio (she is committed to have maximum 12 children in each class). To make them feel at home Joyce has hired a chef that cooks for the children every day. The menu is varied and aims to provide a balanced and healthy diet. So far it is going better than expected. For the first semester (which last from January to March), 6 children had signed up. However, already for the second semester (from May to July) there were 14 children attending, an expansion even Joyce was surprised about.

It is a large sacrifice for both Joyce and her family. To keep the fees low Joyce and her family have been forced to fund most of the kindergarten by themselves. She tells me that the money received through fees only lasts for 1 month per semester, in other words, 2 month of the kindergarten is paid by Joyce and her family. In addition, the rent also continues throughout the holidays, so in effect they even fund more than just the 2 months! Joyce gave up her secure job as an administration helper to commit her entire time to the kindergarten, so her entire family of 4 children and the kindergarten are relying on the money received by her husband. They had to do away with all the luxuries acquired and now only live based on the very basics required for a decent life. But as Joyce says “when you want to achieve something, you have to sacrifice yourself for it”, and she is hopeful that by the end of year the money received in fees will be equal to the entire costs.

The first loan acquired through zidisha was used to by an inflatable swimming pool. The second one was meant to be used for working on the playground, but it was found that the plot of land rented was unsuitable. Therefore, the money was mainly used to pay different administration fees and create advertisement placards. Currently, Joyce has already rented a new plot of land right next to the school and with a third loan; she would start to work on that land. The aim is to create a sandpit, a swimming pool and a bouncing castle. In that way the kindergarten would not only have a wonderful playground for the children, but could also be used as a daycentre on the weekend and in the holidays it would be the perfect site for a holiday camp.

However, Joyce’s vision does not stop there. She aims to move with the children as they get older. In other words, when the first ones reach the age of primary school (which will be in about 2 years), she wants to move with them and open a primary school. Always keeping the kindergarten at its base Joyce will create a school that provides individual support from an early age until at least high school. She admits it will be tuff, however, if a school is of good quality in Kenya it will quite easily be successful.

Joyce is a woman with a great heart that wants to use her experience to benefit others. In addition to running the kindergarten she is a volunteer mentor for zidisha, being responsible for 52 clients. She employed a grandmother that had little else to rely on, to give her a home and a safe place to be. As she said when I was about to leave: “Your life will not be measured in how much wealth you accumulate, but how many souls you can touch.” A quote, I will certainly remember.

David Henning
Client Relationship Manager, Kenya

1. The school
2. Joyce standing next to the current playground
3. The children, the two teachers on each side and Joyce in the middle

Susan    Jun 30, 2014

Hey joyce,i paid my dues on saturday and i was attending a seminar at Naivasha lake side for small business enterpreuners,sorry for inconvinieces caused.

• Joyce    Jul 11, 2014

  Thanks Susan. It's good to note that you have a passion to learn more and even interact with the other business entrepreneurs. I wish you all the best in your business. Please keep up with your prompt repayments of the loan.

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Joyce    Jun 25, 2014

Dear Lenders,
I'm so grateful for the loans accorded to me. These loans have seen my start up kindergarten grow the numbers from 7 kids last semester(when I started it) to 13 kids this current semester and more have booked to join next semester and we've have a 100% retention rate.

Attached are the signboards that we made using some of the loan amount I got and I also registered and took a trading licence with the rest of the amount.

Thanks to all lenders for helping me come this far!

DocHolliday    May 14, 2014

Hello Mrs. Njeru, Thank-you for your help in keeping lenders updated about Miss Yego, and thank-you for your efforts elsewhere as a volunteer mentor, too.

• Joyce    May 15, 2014

  Hello DocHolliday, I appreciate the compliment! It's my pleasure to see my fellow Kenyans benefit from these loans because I know this is a rare opportunity especially in Kenya. These loans have also greatly helped me boost my business! Check out for the pics soon!

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  • DocHolliday    May 16, 2014

    I look forward to your photographs.

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Joyce    Apr 5, 2014

Hi Dishon, sure we haven't talked so far. Congratulations on getting your first loan and starting repayment of the same. Welcome to Zidisha and in case you need my assistance please do not hesitate to contact me on my no.