Caroline Atieno,20, is a student whose story speaks of resilience and determination, despite the poor background she comes from.

Born and raised in a humble family at Manyani, Kivumbini Ward, Atieno’s dream of joining form one hit a snag after her mother could not afford to pay her school fees.

Though she scored 285 after completing her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2016, Atieno had no way of raising school fees needed to join form one.

To add insult to injury, her mother who had a key role in taking care of the family passed on a year later. Atieno had never known her father and was raised solely by her mother.

Now the breadwinner of the family, Atieno was forced to do menial jobs just to provide basic needs for her and her brother.

Seven years later, she decided to try going back to school one last time. That was when she approached one of the nuns at Cathedral Church of Christ the King in Nakuru town.

“Luckily, the nun sympathised with my situation and enrolled me into Christ the King girls secondary school,” Atieno says.

With one problem out of the way, her next dilemma was how to raise school fees.

“I approached the office of the governor where I secured a bursary. I was excited to learn that I was given full scholarship for my studies,” she emotionally states.

Atieno is among the 45 needy students who are benefiting from the County Government’s full scholarship under the bursary kitty.

While launching the Sh 177 million bursary fund on Wednesday, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika said the full scholarship program that targets needy students is meant to ease the burden on the vulnerable.

“Education is key in transforming livelihoods and that is why my administration thought it wise to have this program, where the needy students get full scholarships,” she said.

pmambili@gmail.com

20-year-old joins high school seven years after KCPE

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Pristone Mambili