Timanoi’s father tried to marry her off as soon as she graduated from primary school in 2002 at age 12, but an MGEF scholarship kept her safe and in school. She was the oldest of five children in a family living in extreme poverty, dependent on food from disaster relief programs during the droughts that plagued them. After high school, Timanoi was accepted to the University of Nairobi, with a major in Nutrition. Her father still wants to marry her off, but in Timanoi’s words, “I am not ready to be someone’s wife. I would like to achieve my academic goals and change the living standard of our family.” Catherine graduated from the University of Nairobi in 2015 with a degree in Nutrition, received her Kenya Nutrition and Dietitian License in February 2016, and is doing an internship at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.
Date of Birth: 12/08/1990
Started Program: December 2003
Start Grade: 9th Grade (Form 1)
Current Grade: University Graduate, Hospital Intern
School: University of Nairobi
Sponsored: Yes