By Betty Luke
Fardosa Abduba,who scored 249 marks in 2020 KCPE exams, never imagined that she would be stuck at home for several months after her classmates had joined secondary school.
The situation at her Bulapesa home continued to worsen by the day as her father, the family’s sole breadwinner, struggled with kidney complications that had forced him to quit work.
Having no option, her parents reached out to several elected leaders and well wishers to help take the 14-year-old to school but to no avail.
The distraught girl embarked on learning on YouTube to catch up with the rest of the learners, hoping to one day set her foot in Secondary School and realize her dream of becoming a lawyer.
Her father, Abduba Molu said he was hopeful that one day he would be able to send his daughter to school but had no idea how that would be possible owing to his deteriorating health condition.
“I have been spending a lot of money in the hospital and was worried I might not manage to send her to school,” he said during an interview with The Press Point.
Her case was no different from Abdia Adan whose parents parted ways forcing their neighbour to intervene.
Due to the hard economic situation occasioned by the Covid-19, the guardians were not in a position to enroll her to secondary school even after scoring 280 marks at Uhuru Primary School.
The guardians, who are supporting three other learners in secondary school, had to seek help from several well-wishers but no one came to their aid.
“She is from a very needy family and her parents separated. We are also supporting her elder brother who is in secondary school, “said Mr Leaky Lolkinyeti, the guardian.
The families would later through friends reach out to Bulapesa MCA hopeful Ms Lydiah Ngichili who they said had heard that she was supporting needy learners to join secondary school.
Ms Ngichili agreed to support the learners but on condition that they maximally utilize the opportunity by working hard in school to achieve their dreams. The two will be joining a Boarding secondary school in Tharaka Nithi County next week under the four year scholarship.
“I was called by a friend and I did not know what to do because I had already enrolled two batches of needy learners to school. I am determined to help them realize their dreams,” said Ms Ngichili while issuing them with the admission letters.
The two learners bring to 25 the total number of students from poor backgrounds that the aspirant has so far supported to access secondary school education.
Seventeen (17) learners have joined boarding secondary schools while the remaining are in local Day Secondary Schools.
The learners, drawn from different communities in Bulapesa and Wabera wards have joined secondary schools in different parts of the country and will be fully sponsored by Ms Ngichili.
She has appealed to parents and guardians to speak out whenever they are facing challenges to enable them to get assistance saying ‘if one does not speak then they cannot be assisted’.
“I urge parents to seek help. Do not stay silent when facing challenges,” she said.
Mr Molu hailed the effort saying he had never experienced such a program from an aspirant and urged locals to fully support the idea to ensure it continues to uplift many other needy families.
“I have never again come across a leader who starts a beneficial program like this without the assurance of being elected,” he said.
He told off other elected leaders who were out to satisfy their own desires without minding the needs of the electorates and urged them to emulate Ms Ngichili’s move.
“Other leaders have mastered the art of hand outs and are no longer concerned about the welfare of the youth and education,” he said.
