My name is Charity Wanja, the last born in a family of three. I was raised by a single mother who passed away in 2005 following a short illness. Thereafter, I had to be raised by her elder brother. Still, after some time, there were some family issues. These issues led to my elder sister dropping out of school. My sister felt it necessary to leave that environment. Since I was going through a hard time, she decided to take us with her. My sister gave up school to take care of us. She started working in a tiny hotel where her earnings were very little. After a while, she met our Dad, Benson Maara, through a good Samaritan in the hotel. My sister was also young and the best option, at that time, was to place me at the IHE Center. That is where I found myself!
In 2007, while in Class 7, I took the time to adjust primarily because most of the children, unlike myself, were from the streets. It was not easy, as we were a bit different. I even remember getting to the point where I felt like giving up. I told the Director “I am going back to my home.” I felt rejected because I was unable to understand what was going on. But through the encouragement I received, I was able to continue my education. I went on to high school, while still living at IHE, where I performed very well. I was blessed to have help with my school fees as GOD WAS FAITHFUL! I completed my high-school education in 2012.
In 2013, I had hopes of going to college but had to stay home since there was no money to enroll. I decided to have a sit down with our Dad, Pastor Benson. He opened my eyes to the fact that it was not easy to enroll in college since, at that time, the ministry was very young, and taking care of the other young children at the Center was already a financial burden. I took a LEAP OF FAITH to ask my sister, who was married but not financially stable yet, to help me further my education. She and her husband agreed to get a small loan that would enable me to enroll in college. I needed 250,000ks to cover the full course of classes I needed; that was not easy. Not having all the necessary finances would cause me to be unable to take my exams on time. I saw God move on my behalf. In a class of 75 students, only 6 graduated. And I was one of the six (6)!! I graduated from college in 2016. I also thank Apostle Dr. Carolyn Vessel who, at a point, also helped to support me.
During the next chapter of my life, I sought employment. This was no easy task either! I was even forced to wash clothes for people and clean houses to pay my bills. I could not imagine going back home after becoming a college graduate. I sent my CV (Curriculum Vitae: a short, written summary of a person’s career,
qualifications, and education) to more than 100 places, for job applications, with the hope that one day I would get a good job. I started doing casual work in one of the high-end hotels and, after a few months, I managed to secure a job! It seemed impossible that, after all that, I got a job at a 5-Star Hotel where I would serve all types of people, including international as well as local guests. I worked there for almost five years.
After marrying the love of my life in July 2020, I resigned. I have always thanked GOD! Because of His GRACE, we had a BEAUTIFUL WEDDING. We were supported by so many of GOD’s people, including, once again, Dr. Vessel. After we were married, I relocated to be with my husband as his work took him far
away from me. I have always dreamed of raising a family where we stay together. Upon joining my husband, he became my boss. We are still working together…
I thank GOD for bringing me this far and I am so proud to be a product of the In Heaven’s Eyes family. I must take this opportunity to thank our HEAVENLY FATHER who has always been there for me and with me – through it all. I will always TRUST HIM. May HE receive all the GLORY and HONOR. It is because of
HIM that I met my Dad, Pastor Benson Maara, and the entire IHE family. I also thank the Executive Director (USA), Dr. Carolyn Vessel, the Co-Labourers with Christ brethren, and everyone who supported us. You built a place for us that we call home and provided us with our basic needs. You would visit us and bring gifts that made us feel loved. May our Heavenly Father repay you on our behalf.