Simon is from Nalingangor, a remote area of Samburu County in northern Kenya. Simon is one of 10 siblings and growing up was, in Simon’s words, ‘very tough’. His family were extremely poor, nomadic pastoralists who had lost all their livestock to raiders. They could only afford to eat one meal a day, mostly a supper of light porridge. Simon walked four miles to primary school and back each day.

Simon excelled at Kisima School and achieved a very high A- result in his Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in his final year. He was offered a place at one of Kenya’s best universities, the University of Nairobi, to study BSc Food & Nutrition. He was the top student on his course and graduated with a first class honours degree. He was offered a full scholarship to study for a masters degree but turned it down to take up an offer of employment which would enable him to pay the school fees for one of his sisters.

Simon is now back in his home county working for a health and nutrition project supported by USAID and implemented by the US NGO Family Health International 360. Simon teaches women about health, hygiene and nutrition and gives practical cooking demonstrations. He also works on a special project with women who are iron deficient, particularly during pregnancy.

Simon is very active in the Kisima Alumni network and hopes to study for a masters degree in the future when he has finished paying for his sister’s school fees.