I Can Dare Dream Again: Thanks to my Benefactor

Kwamboka was fast losing hope after dropping out of school for lack of school fees, five years ago. Now she can dare dream again, she says, thanks to a Good Samaritan who saw her need and stepped in to help. In her own words, she tells her story I want to work very hard at school. I know I cannot afford to waste this second chance that I got when I had almost given up hope. During my childhood, my family was poor though we could get the basics. My father was working as a subordinate staff in a local school and he would try to meet our needs as much as he could. Most of the times, though, we would be sent away from school when he delayed paying school fees but we would resume when he cleared the dues.

Being the second-born among my mother’s children, I could see the problems my family faced but I still had hope thinking that things would get better some day. Things started changing for the worse when my father lost his job and moved to the city in search of greener pastures. My mother and all the children were left in the village under the mercy of God. I was then in Standard Six and my elder sister was two years ahead in her final year of primary school.

When my sister sat for her Standard Eight exam, there was clearly no hope of her joining high school and she ended up joining my mother in toiling the farm that could barely produce enough food for the family’s consumption. I knew better than to expect anything better for myself. It was obvious I would also not join high school because my family could not afford to pay the high cost of secondary education.

Many are nights we slept with no food. But I will never forget that mother always promised a better day and her magical words soothed us to sleep. With no income at all, we could only hope that things change for better! My father would occasionally come home, but his answer to most of our needs was there was no money. Of course even when I eventually did my final primary school exam, he said he had no money so I had to painfully let go of my dreams of getting an education that could give me a good job and a promising future.

I felt like my mother was like a widow and had no means to give us anything more than food and clothing. In my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) I scored 346 marks out of a possible 700. This was good performance, bearing in mind I had little hope of going to high school and little time was dedicated to study because we had to work all the time.

One bright day, my cousin who works in Nairobi told me of a friend who was looking for a house and needed a house help. I jumped at the opportunity for I knew I had to help my family make ends meet. After working for a few months, my employer recognized my handwork and undying desire to go back to school and he asked my cousin to make arrangement and he would pay the full tuition. I remember tears of joy trickling down my face and that is when I believed God still works miracles in our lives today. I joined High School in 2004 — it was the turning point in my life.

Though I felt odd sitting in class with students who had been about four years behind me (who were, of course, much younger) I appreciated the opportunity and support and I knew I COULD DARE DREAM AGAIN. With an education I know the sky is the limit for me. That is why I know I have to work really hard so I can perform well next year to qualify for a good college. Peter, my benefactor, has become like a father to me. There is no sweeter thing than to know someone cares that much. To be able to visualize where I am headed brings purpose to my life.

My family too appreciates the help I get from this Good Samaritan who, besides paying my school fees gives me pocket money and other necessities together with even fare to visit my family once in a while during school breaks though I still live with my cousin in the city. My cousin has also been instrumental in all the good things happening in my life.

I just thank God for my benefactor and I can only pray that he is blessed forever. I hope to work hard and study medicine in college so that one day I could also give hope to someone by taking them to school and helping shape their lives. This may not necessarily be my relative, but just a child or two to whom God would direct me

If there were a few more people like Peter in the world, there would be so much hope for children who end up destitute when no one can support their ambitions. Four of my own siblings are already out of school because they could not get school fees. Only those still in primary school are continuing because education at that level is free. A lot of other children from poor families in the country are getting wasted at home while a good gesture like what Peter has done in my case could save them and fill them with hope. Who will render that golden touch to such children? I have no words to compare my life today and how it was before Peter extended the helping hand.

With Great appreciation

Kwamboka

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