The Courage to Dream: The Story of Kibondeni College

In the early 1960s, in a country on the cusp of independence, the idea of a young girl in Kenya pursuing higher education was almost unthinkable. For many families, educating girls beyond primary school was a luxury. For most girls, the path seemed already decided — helping at home, working in the shamba, perhaps a very early marriage. Opportunities were few, and dreams often quietly extinguished.

Kibondeni in 1961

And yet, in 1961, something remarkable happened. A small group of girls, fresh from Tetu village in Nyeri, made their way to Nairobi. They had only ever been trained in simple household chores at their local mission, yet they carried something far greater: hope. They arrived at a newly opened in-service catering training school, then attached to Strathmore College, which would later be known as Kibondeni.

For these young girls, stepping into Kibondeni was like stepping into another world. The modern kitchens gleamed, the classrooms buzzed with energy, and the standards of training were unlike anything they had seen. They lived in the catering department itself — their mornings filled with practical work, their afternoons with theory lessons guided by committed teachers. Every dish they prepared, every table they set, every lesson they learned carried a deeper meaning: proof that women could belong here, too.

A student in a then modern kitchen

By 1962, some of them had already mastered enough to qualify for professional catering careers — and even to run entire institutions. What had begun as a daring experiment was blossoming into a powerful movement. Word spread from village to village, and the number of applicants surged.

By 1967, the intake had doubled. With the support of the Kianda Foundation and the tireless work of the newly formed Kibondeni Ladies’ Auxiliary, the school expanded. Women from all walks of life poured their energy into building classrooms, residences, and training facilities. It was more than brick and mortar; it was a declaration that girls’ education mattered.

Over the years, Kibondeni became a sanctuary for over a thousand young women from across Kenya, from every tribe and background. For many, it was their very first time living with girls from other regions, broadening their horizons in ways their parents could hardly have imagined. Graduates went on to staff hospitals, schools, hotels, and polytechnics. Some became entrepreneurs, building small catering businesses that transformed not just their lives, but their families and communities.

Miss Margaret Kenyattaa addresing students and guests in Kibondeni

Employers soon began to recognize something unique. Job advertisements would often read: “Only a Kibondeni graduate will be considered.” Such was the reputation of the training, the discipline, and the character instilled here.

But beyond the accolades, Kibondeni’s true story lies in the quiet triumphs — the shy village girl who grew into a confident professional, the first daughter in a family to earn a salary, the mother who sent her own children to school because she had once been given a chance.

Kbondeni students gathered

Kibondeni began with just a handful of girls and a daring belief. Today, it stands as a living legacy — proof that when you educate a woman, you ignite generations.