Ayanna

Ayanna tells the story of Ayanna Njeri, a brilliant girl from Eastlands, Nairobi, whose life is shaped by poverty, frequent blackouts, and a burning curiosity. Frustrated by the lack of reliable electricity in her community, Ayanna begins experimenting with scraps and discarded electronics, eventually creating a working solar-powered lantern. Her invention earns her recognition at her school's science fair and ultimately propels her to the National Science Fair in Kisumu, where her project—Project Nyumbani—wins first place. This victory opens doors: a scholarship to Ridgeview Girls Academy and the attention of mentors who see her not just as a student, but as a visionary.
At Ridgeview, Ayanna grapples with imposter syndrome and cultural class gaps. While her wealthier classmates take luxuries for granted, Ayanna builds, reuses, and invents. Her dorm becomes a lab, and her spirit of innovation refuses to conform. She continues developing her prototypes—off-grid housing systems powered by solar, bio-waste, and hydrogen fuel cells. Ayanna's quiet defiance and purpose-driven brilliance catch the eye of teachers and engineers alike. She is reminded constantly that her journey is not about fitting in, but about challenging the very systems that forgot girls like her existed.
After graduating, Ayanna returns home and launches Ayanna Apartments—affordable, sustainable, dignified housing for underserved communities. She partners with local youth and builds the first prototypes in Kibra, then Kisumu. As her model spreads, she faces corporate sabotage and political threats. One investor offers her a massive bribe to walk away. She refuses. Instead, she launches Ayanna Academy to train the next generation of builders and problem-solvers. Her idea becomes a movement. Her software, GridOS, is stolen, but Ayanna doubles down, opening her designs to the continent, choosing people over profit.
The story culminates in the signing of the Ayanna Accord, a continent-wide commitment to youth-led, climate-conscious infrastructure. Ten years later, her legacy lives on as another young girl, inspired by Ayanna, lights her own home for the first time. Ayanna's journey is more than a personal triumph—it's a call to action. She doesn't wait for change. She builds it. From a dim Nairobi flat to a pan-African movement, Ayanna is a powerful testament to the idea that dignity, light, and justice can be engineered—and that revolution often begins with one girl, a broken torch, and an unbreakable dream.

Francis Otieno Ochieng is an IT Technician, Computer Teacher, and Motivational Speaker from Kenya, with a deep passion for aviation. Inspired by his own journey and the road not taken, Francis weaves tales of hope and resilience. Avianna is his debut novel, born from a profound desire to uplift and inspire a new generation of African trailblazers.