Compassion International in partnership with the local churches in Matayos sub county, Busia County has empowered young primary and secondary children with high prowess in computer engineering.
A 12-year-old boy from Budokomi is hoping to become Kenya’s youngest computer guru after becoming obsessed with computer maintenance and programming two after joining Compassion school.
Wesonga Moses a standard 7 pupil at Budokomi primary school, is hoping his skills will be recognized by Microsoft and Guinness World Records in software and hardware engineering from African continent.
A self-proclaimed hardware engineer who has never been to a college narrated how sheer interest and passion has earned him that lucrative title despite his age. “My aspiration is to be a role model to young boys and girls not only in this locality but Africa in matters of computer science,” said cheerful Wesonga.
In an exclusive interview with KNA, Eng Wesonga noted that he developed confidence and passion after guidance from his teacher who is a 3rd year IT student of Juja-based JKUAT who was on attachment at their institution.
As a toddler, Wesonga started to show an aptitude for computers and before long he had mastered several popular video games, and was able to operate and do minor repairs within the school. He is now able to dismantle and assemble back all the components in the computer.
“I used to admire how my teacher would teach us and knew all the components in the system unit and got so much interested in doing the same,” he narrated.
He began typing in Microsoft Word just two years after enrolling with Compassion and knew how to programme and download game emulators at the age of ten. Through learning, the young boy says he is now familiar with all parts of the computer, which he can well explain them plus their functions.
“This device consists of a very important part known as the hard disc which stores information that is already processed from data,” Wesonga explained.
He was also able to illustrate how different search cables are connected and disconnected for the computer to function something he says that he enjoys teaching his fellow pupils in order to improve his knowledge about the device.
Wesonga noted that his biggest wish is to one day be a computer wizard whereby he will be one of the big consultant engineers in the country to solve all computer challenges.
According to the school director Zacharia Otieno, they noticed a unique character in Wesonga’s passion for computers, a move that made the organization acquire necessary equipments he needed to actualize his dream.
“The boy had a lot of interest in computer, started to play and master many complicated games and started the skill of basic computer repairing, he was very curious and attentive in computer lessons,” said Otieno.
The smile on Wesonga’s face hid the fact that he is an orphan who partly stays with his guardians when the school closes and is a hardworking boy even at home which makes his guardians so proud of him.
“I usually wake up at 6am while at home, prepare breakfast for my younger cousins and head to their farm together with my uncle for farming,” narrated Wesonga.
“I really enjoy playing on the computer and learning new skills. My dream is to be a computer expert and to work for a big computer firm in the future,” he told KNA.
At lunchtime, Wesonga says he rushes home to prepare food for lunch, draws water to bathe and gives to the cattle, then goes to graze them as he plays with his mates up to evening.
One of the pupils in Wesonga’s class John Munati, said that they are very much surprised at Wesonga’s wisdom because he has been teaching them very technical parts and the general functioning of the computer.
“We always get shocked on how quick he is able to capture details and teach us when the teacher is not around. We hope to keep him grounded and as he grows older. Let him know that he has been blessed with a gift which he shouldn’t take for granted,” Munati said.
He also noted that apart from Wesonga being a very bright pupil, he also admires his discipline and humility to the entire school management and fellow pupils.
By Absalom Namwalo and Frodah Namayi
