CGA Alumni Spotlight: Martha

Martha Akinyi.

A CGA Alumni currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma Christian University.

Joe taught her Math and Bible for several years at CGA, and even coached her in soccer and basketball, and has been close to her family during his time in Kenya.  We are looking forward to spending time with her in the coming months!

This is her personal narrative of her life story which shows the impact of CGA and how she is being a light for Jesus by giving back to the world, after persevering through extreme challenges.

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Born in the small village of Mbita, Kenya, I did not expect anything big out of my life. Nobody decides what family they belong to. If that were possible then I would not have chosen my family. My father was a polygamous and my mother was his third wife.  I was the sixth child of my mother; 5 boys and 2 girls. My father died in 1996 when I was 4 years old and my mother died four years later.  My siblings were divided among relatives and it wasn’t until I was 15 that I met all of my brothers again.  My younger sister and I were sent to live with a neighbor, Helen, and her sons. 

Growing up as an orphan in Kenya, I have learned the value of every opportunity. I was unfortunate to not have a complete family,

but I am happy that out of everything I had to go through growing up, I am more than victorious. Maybe I was just not lucky... or maybe there was something God wanted me to learn from the whole experience.

It all started in Christ's Gift Academy when I was blessed to be among the kids who joined Kindergarten in 1999. I now have effective communication skills, can read and write, and I have a good reputation for knowing Bible verses.  That knowledge was instilled in me through CGA.  All the time that I spent there as a student molded me into who I am today.

But, even with all that happened, God still gave us a place to call home. I am grateful that God used Helen [my guardian] and CGA to give me another chance in life. I am glad that I made it through high school in a community where female education is not valued.  It is a community with the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and a large number of teenage girls drop out of school because they get pregnant and have to stay home to take care of their babies. This is where I was born and grew up.  I am glad that amidst all of this, I made it and I am currently pursuing my degree in mechanical engineering.

I remember vividly those times early in my life when we hardly had a single meal in a day; when we slept on the floor on a very small mat without a mattress; when we had no clothes to put on; when some of us were not able to go to school because of the financial status of the family.

Everything has changed and I have opened a new chapter in my life.

It has now been one year since I set my feet in the United States. This is an auspicious point of my life having come this far.

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Martha came to the U.S. in August 2013 to attend Knoxville College. After her Freshman year, she spent her summer in Houston serving as an intern with Impact Ministries. Read about her internship serving inner-city youth in Houston. She has now transferred to attend Oklahoma Christian University to study Mechanical Engineering.  Her story is one of the many beautiful success stories of CGA Alumni.