Our Founder

Tommy Nyawir – Founder of Mirror of Hope

At 14, Tommy had finished his primary school in Kibera and as is usual with many students who live in the slums, this was the furthest one could go.

As a child, Tommy grew up with a lot of questions often wondering whether he could ever break free from the poverty he was raised in. His family could not afford life basics such as food, clothes and a proper shelter and that is why after his lower education, Tommy had almost submitted to the fact that he may never acquire any further education.

Time went by and fate had it otherwise for Tommy. At the verge of giving up on his dreams Tommy met a complete stranger who would completely change not just his life, but also the approach and perspective from which he looked at things henceforth. The stranger, an old Irish man Tommy had never thought of meeting agreed to pay for all his high school education, turning around Tommy’s life and giving him another chance to dream.

To Tommy this wasn’t just an opportunity. It was HOPE. An opportunity to redeem himself from abject poverty and give himself a better life different from the one his parents could afford.

Tommy finished his high school and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Human Development in university and became an active member of the community and later, with his wife Judy formed The Mirror of Hope.