A miracle for Christmas

Born into a life of crime and poverty in a Kenyan slum, Sammy Gitau was foraging through a rubbish dump when he found a prospectus for the University of Manchester – and his dream was born. For years he studied hard, and fought for the right to come to Britain. Today he receives his Masters degree

When Sammy Gitau, a child of one of Nairobi's most notorious slums, discovered a Manchester University prospectus on a rubbish tip, he kept it as a talisman and reminder of what life could be like. Like thousands of other children in the Kenyan capital's oldest slum, there seemed little means of escape. But today, Mr Gitau, who spent almost a decade gazing in hope at the precious booklet, becomes the university's most remarkable graduate.

Despite just two years of formal education, he has completed an MSc in international development project management (IDPM), and even receive a merit for his dissertation, which focused on his community projects in Nairobi. Today, as he steps out in his gown and mortar board, he will carry on his shoulders the hope of thousands of Kenyan slum-dwellers who never believed such a leap possible.