Meet ‘Mother Theresa’ of Kiambu County

Sister Espie with some of the needy children she is helping. [Photo: Courtesy]

By Phares Mutembei

Walking in the footsteps of the late queen of charity Mother Teresa, Sister Esperanza Oreojola has dedicated her life to work for the poorest in Kenya and neighbouring countries. To achieve her heart’s desire, she settled among the poor and her generosity has seen hundreds of children earn an education.

Her journey of charity began in her native Philippines where she learnt early on that charity is a noble calling and she “was created to serve”. And to see her calling more clearly, as a young woman she served under Mother Teresa, her role model and mentor.

And from her experience working with Mother Teresa, Esperanza learnt that, “If you want to see God, look in the eyes of the poor.”

Personal conviction

In the small village of Njuki in Kiambu, Esperanza, 61, shares a dormitory with a group of teenage girls and some women. They seem content to live together.

Sister Espie, as Esperanza is fondly known, is the founder of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in Kenya.

The sisters occupy the space closest to the door and are always the first to rise for their ritual prayers and supplication. Once done with tidying up, the girls head for breakfast then into their classrooms, where they join the boys for lessons. These are the inhabitants of Fransiscans School, which also serves as a children’s home.

Sister Espie is at home among the poor of Kiambu, having served the poor for four decades. It is a journey that has seen her work among the vagabonds and drug addicts of Brooklyn, USA, and the hopeless of Mukuru slums in Kenya.

Her current life is a stark contrast to the kingly upbringing she had in the Philippines. She was born into affluence and grew up in a palatial home with everything she needed.

But as she sprouted into teenage, she made a personal conviction to leave her material possessions and join church missionary. Over time, she became a vocal crusader of children’s rights and community empowerment.

But she says she doesn’t miss the grandiose of her family background: “I was born into a big and wealthy family. My bedroom was spacious and I had everything someone can possibly need. But as I grew up in the church, I decided to make myself useful to the society. I sold off everything bequeathed to me and started a scholarship fund for poor children in Solano, Philippines, in 1978.”

Generosity

In 1990, she expanded her generosity to include sponsorship for college and vocational courses for orphaned children as well as to help sick people and children from broken families. She also set up a temporary home for the homeless.

In 1991, she received the Mother Teresa Award and the Humanitarian Award of the Philippines for her selfless spirit. She has also received many more awards for helping the disadvantaged. She first entered the convent in 1974.

Her work has seen her traverse the world to speak about matters spiritual and humanitarian, encouraging people to give to the needy.

“I am not a believer in worldly possessions. I had it all but gave it away, channelling it into humanitarian work. My lifestyle as a sister is no different from that of the people I am ministering to. I have a single official dress: it is about identifying with the poor whom I serve.”

She gives the Kiambu children shelter, educates them and meets other needs as “many are abandoned by family and society. I want these children to have an education, to have a chance in life.”

The land where the children’s home and school are built was donated by Mwalimu Ndegwa.

Ndegwa says in spite of the fact that the county is blessed with resources and is home to some of the country’s richest people, a big portion of its children are impoverished.

“Our poor children walked in the villages scavenging while their parents were out there looking for work in the richer neighbourhoods,” he laments.