Mrs Lucy Ndung’u is a lifelong, passionate educator who felt a calling to teach in her youth. A wife and mother of three has touched the lives of many students through her unwavering commitment and has continued to inspire future generations to dream big and achieve greatness. She talks about her life of service and the power of education.
Lucy Nyambura Ndung’u has dedicated her life to the noble teaching profession for the last three decades. The educator, mother, and founder of Fairvale School in Donholm, Nairobi, has spent more than half of her life shaping the minds of young scholars.
Married to Joseph Ndung’u Njenga and blessed with three children, John Njenga, Antony Mwangi (popularly known as Anto Neosoul) and Bryan Ndung’u, Lucy’s story is that of a humble beginning and escalating achievements.
Her story begins in Wamuini, Kitale, where she was born and raised. She grew up in a family of nine siblings, and this made her self-reliant early in life. Her mother instilled independence and resilience in her despite the challenges of her upbringing.
“Life presented itself with a myriad of challenges,” Lucy recalls, “but my mother raised us not to be victims of circumstances.”
She attended Kitale Union Primary School from class one through to seven. She then pursued her early years of high school at Kitale Girls Secondary School and later joined Menengai High School for the remaining years of her secondary education. It was here that the love for teaching the arts was harnessed, setting her up for what would become a life of service for countless young hearts.
She felt called to teach from a young age. “Children gravitated towards me even when I was young,” she shares, adding that: “My love for music, dance, and telling stories, both in church and at home, naturally drew children to my side.”
This calling seemed to seal her fate as an educator. She commenced her teaching career by undergoing Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) training in Njoro. She relocated to Edel Quinn Kindergarten in Riruta in 1988, where she taught for eight years.
She later upgraded her skills by undertaking a Montessori course and obtained a diploma, catapulting her into the leadership of Head of Preschool at St. Mary’s Academy in Nairobi for 18 years until her retirement in 2014.
To this passionate educator, however, retirement seemed more about creating new beginnings than bringing an ongoing activity to an end. Along with her husband, she founded Fairvale School in Donholm, Nairobi, which she still runs on a day-to-day basis and leads a team of professionals.
“Teaching for over 30 years has been the elixir of my life,” Lucy says with pride, adding: “It gives me unending purpose and fulfilment, and besides, everything that seems to be an insurmountable obstacle of life is worth enduring.”
Of her achievements, one which ranks amongst the top is seeing her former students soar high in life. “They walk up to me, thank me for making their formative years palatable; that for me is greater than any personal achievement,” she notes.
This has not been an easy journey, though. She cites a lack of resources and meagre pay as significant hurdles in her early years.
“I believe I could have done more for myself and our communities if the resources had been more forthcoming,” she reflects.
To the would-be teachers, Lucy has words of wisdom: “Teaching is not a fallback career for those seeking an easy path. It requires focus, dedication, and the willingness to go above and beyond for the sake of your students.” She stresses the joy and satisfaction that comes from nurturing inquisitive young minds and watching them thrive.
To those who are performing poorly in their studies, Lucy preaches self-acceptance and seeking help from teachers, parents, or even peers. “Platforms like YouTube can also be a valuable resource, especially for tertiary-level students,” she adds.
Her own experience providing tuition classes underlines the importance of parental involvement in identifying and addressing a child’s weaknesses. “Knowing that their parents are willing to go the extra mile motivates students immensely,” she says.
Describing herself as a dynamic and confident mentor, Lucy credits her success to her guiding principles: “God’s grace and His sufficiency are my foundation. For everything to be great, it must be God’s purpose.” She also embraces stoicism, believing that “every bad thing must have an end.” This perspective has helped her navigate life’s darkest moments with hope and determination.
This article was originally published in Issue 444
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