Gideon, Law Student at Daystar

Try to imagine daily life in the coastal town of Kilifi, Kenya: warm salty winds blow in from over the Indian Ocean, coconut trees sway overhead. The beaches are sandy, but the soil around town is surprisingly fertile and good for growing maize and cassava. Life runs at a slower pace in this little coastal town 36 miles north of Mombasa, but it runs nonetheless.

Gideon is from Kilifi, the youngest of three; he is accustomed to hard work and surviving on very little. His father was a day laborer until he was hit by a car while bicycling to go fishing. This accident left him and the rest of the family in hardship. Gideon’s mom works as a nursery school teacher and maintains a garden to help feed their family. Gideon’s father also has a second wife (a common practice in this region) who has three more children younger than Gideon.

Gideon is a law student at Daystar. He is also on scholarship through Daystar U.S. He became interested in being a lawyer when things didn’t go well for the settlement of his father’s accident. Because he is well connected to his community, Gideon is also concerned for the greater issues of his hometown and surrounding areas. He's just returned from his second attachment (internship) connected to his degree. He spent eight weeks in the county court system in Kilifi, where he observed the courtroom daily and had the opportunity to ask questions about the whole experience. “The judicial attachment was educative, especially in reinforcing the theory we had acquired in classes, and I learnt how to apply the theoretical knowledge in the field of practice in real-life situations.”

Gideon’s mother had a great influence on him. She had a strong Christian faith. She took him to church and taught him to trust in God for his needs. She not only worked to provide for the family, both teaching and farming, but also searched for local funding to help pay school fees. His mother was not only hardworking and diligent, but also had a big heart for others. When Gideon was in middle school, his mother invited a cousin to come stay with them. Gideon couldn’t understand why his mom would add to the stress of the limited budget. Then when he left for boarding school in high school, she took in two more cousins. Eventually Gideon understood his mother’s gift of generosity. Gideon feels that his life is most influenced by this lady who made sure that he didn’t miss out on any educational opportunities and that he could go on to university. “She has taught me a lot of things, but what stands out is her selflessness. She always gives without minding her own situation.” His generous mom has now taken in six of his cousins, after educating his older siblings and Gideon.

Before Gideon was awarded a scholarship, he took a bit of time off during his school career to earn money to continue. He worked at a solar company, installing panels for customers. The law program leaves little room for a part-time job, but he does advise friends and relatives on legal matters when he can. He’s mostly focused on the future.

Gideon is well aware that attending Daystar is an expensive option. He’s determined to help his community once he’s finished with his degree: “By the time I attain my law degree, it won't be a personal achievement but a statement to my community that with God nothing is impossible. Having lived the reality of a struggling family, I desire to become someone who will extend that same opportunity to other disadvantaged and deserving families. I genuinely believe that this is a calling that God placed in me to serve beyond myself.”

Gideon still has a year of classes left, one more internship, and then he waits for the government notification of his placement for taking the bar exam. In the meantime, he’s pressing on with what God has laid before him with the determination and responsibility from his community. Daystar is continuing to build in him the servant leader qualities nurtured by his mother and so needed in his community.