Why I ditched my riches in Britain

Tracy Neale-Ferreira, 52, says she was unhappy in her job even though it afforded her a good life. She also says an interaction with the Kenyan teaching system pushed her to start a school in Murang’a

By Catherine Njiru @Catenjiiru
Sometimes a short trip turns into an adventure that can change your life and the lives of thousands of others. That is what happened to Tracy Neale-Ferreira, 52, who had been a legal secretary for years when she first came to Kenya in 2010.
From the Wales, UK, Tracy realised she was unhappy with her job. In addition, her retirement was fast approaching. So she took up a course at Aberystwyth University and later volunteered to teach English in Kenya at a school for orphans.
Tracy then wanted to spend a few teaching English and reading storybooks to the children before going back to the UK. “The children struggled in constructing English sentences but they wanted to learn. I felt exhilarated and alive in a way I hadn’t felt for a long time. I felt needed and saw a real need here,” she says.
During this time, she was devastated to discover how mean and ruthless the teachers were to the children. “I didn’t think they were in the right job,” she says. And so an idea came into mind. She was going to actualise it no matter the situation.
At UK, while working as a legal secretary, Tracy dedicated her life savings for the spirit of orphaned and needy children. She decided to quit and move to Kenya. “This was significant as I had been living ‘the dream’. I had my own beautiful home, a job, friends and family.
“My friends didn’t know if they should laugh or cry. Most thought I was crazy. I had a rough time the first few months. I was alone and felt isolated; the language barrier was really working against me. I succeeded only because I never gave up the dream of staying,” says Tracy.
In July 2013, together with Job Thuo Macharia, who she had met while volunteering, she formed a company. She bought an acre and a half of land near Kambirwa, a tiny village in Murang’a. This would be the land where her idea would be actualised.
Armed with the belief that children should be educated with no fear, she built a school. The school, Roko 20 Academy constructed of mabati, was built within three weeks. “At the beginning of last year we opened for business. We have three classrooms, a baby and nursery class combined a pre-unit class, and a Class One.
We only had 17 students at the time,” she says. Since it was registered as a charity, the school also aims to help the community become self-sufficient. It has already started a rabbit breeding programme and hopes to set up a similar project with goats.
“We give each boy a female rabbit to breed and once in a while introduce a male rabbit to help reproduce. When she finally gives birth, we give another boy one of the rabbits and the cycle goes on,” Macharia, the school director says.
“So it’s not just about giving resources, it is about showing people how to manage it so they can look after themselves,” says Tracy. Seed money and support for existing projects continue to come from the UK, but the plan is that the projects will be funded locally in their entirety by 2018.
“When the school runs out of money, I usually go back to the UK and take up temporary employment as a legal secretary, this helps me raise more funds for the school,” she says. While at the UK, Tracy abandons her former life and seeks assistance from family and friends to at least get a roof to sleep under.
“Most of the times I sleep on the floor, or on a friend’s sofa just to save up money for the school,” Tracy says. However in Murang’a, she has a little room in the school compound where she sleeps. With no electricity, she has to walk to Murang’a town almost daily to access Internet in a cyber café.
The language barrier has forced her to learn a little Kikuyu, which she finds challenging but she’s up to the task. However hot and uncomfortable the room gets, she doesn’t regret her decision. “At the end of the day you have to look back and see what you have done.
As a secretary, I was just there to make money for others. I’m not afraid that my decision will come to haunt me one day, I love what I do and have no time to think about my life,” she says. But still people ask her why Roko 20 Academy means so much to her when she had a life back in UK. “‘Why would you devote your life to this?’ people ask.” She fidgest as she replies: “It sounds trite, but it makes our lives richer.”