Nancy Wangari: A philanthropist using golf to empower needy children
Nancy Wangari Steinman is constructing a mini-golf course for needy children in Nakuru county.
Nancy Wangari Steinman, a mother, grandmother, and golfer has a big heart for children.
“I have fostered 25 children since I started my foster care journey. 20 have left the nest, leaving five under my care,” Wangari begins her intriguing story.
In 1992, after moving to Switzerland the year before, Wangari felt it was time to give back to her community.
Having come from a big family of 12 children and raising three boys of her own, she felt she still had more love to give. Thus, she started fostering orphaned children.
“In December 2007, I had come to the country to see the children as had been the custom for me. Unfortunately, I was forced to extend my stay in the country owing to the post-election violence," Wangari recalls.
It was this inconvenience that introduced her to the world of golf.
As fate would have it, she found herself working at the Kenya Red Cross children’s department which was based at Nakuru Show Ground.
Here, her interest in golf was piqued since the golf course was just nearby.
Choosing to join her elder brothers who had a liking towards this strange sport, Wangari found herself enthralled by the intrigues of the golf course.
So exciting was this revelation that she decided to pass it down to her children. To her, this was an opportunity to show the children that golf was not 'a rich man’s game'.
They too could play and become good at it.
Since then, every one of her kids has been inducted into golfing.
“My second last born who is in form one, and my last born who is 12 have hearing and speech impairment. However, they too participate in golf. No one is exempted,” Wangari says with a smile on her face.
In fact, other pupils at Ngala School for the Deaf have benefitted from Wangari’s generosity, as she enrolled at least 20 students in their golf training sessions through her position as the Central Rift Representative for the Junior Golf Foundation.
“The training sessions take place every Sunday at the Nakuru golf course.”
Nancy Wangari expalins her plans to have a mini-golf course in Milimani estate exclusive to needy children.
In her efforts to provide the children ample space to practice, Wangari has set her plans in motion to set up a mini-golf range in Nakuru's Milimani estate, set to be completed by August this year.
“I would also like to take on board children living with disability to not only sharpen their prowess, but also show them that they can do anything,” she concludes.