“I know that education is going to make me a better person and will make my future brighter.”
Valentine Maswache

24-year-old Valentine Maswache is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in journalism & media studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and majoring in public relations.

Having gone to secondary school in an informal settlement behind Nairobi's dump site, Valentine knows firsthand what it's like to struggle to get an education. Most of the girls from her school dropped out, becoming single mothers who rely on casual labor to take care of themselves and their children.

Despite this difficult environment, Valentine counted on several role models, including her parents, who encouraged her to finish her education. She recalls that her parents believed that: "Education is the best thing you can get out of this world and it's the key to success."

Valentine is now a research assistant working for Vision Empowerment Trust, a professional association of researchers in education and social science. "Education will take you places," she says. "It is the best thing you can have."

This story is part of education shapes futures, a compilation of powerful stories of young people living in GPE partner developing countries on how education had a positive impact on their lives.