“God is real. Keep going, do not lose hope, maintain the faith and always be grateful when anyone gives you a gift”
Those were the words of a relieved 15-year-old boy after two well-wishers paid his secondary school fees.
Antony Kinyua sat Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination at Kariba Road Primary School in Nakuru East Sub County and scored 301 marks, but his hopes of joining Afraha High School were almost dimmed due to lack of fees.
Lady luck also came smiling for the lad from a poor background when he received a brand-new uniform, stationery and textbooks from Ms Divia Shah and the ‘Director of Realz Hands of Love’ Ms Nancy Ndegwa.
“I had lost hope of joining Form One because my mother could not afford to pay my school fees,” said Kinyua.
The well-wishers visited the boy’s mother’s dwelling place at the low-income Kwa-Ronda settlements where they delivered the items after fully paying first term fees.
Kinyua is the first-born son of Lucy Wangeci, a single mother of two. The second born is a 3-year-old girl. The teenager was prepared to go back to primary school to give his mother time to accumulate money to take him to secondary school.
“I visited several offices and organizations seeking any form of help to enable me to join secondary school to no avail. Today is my first day in school and I am very thrilled”, muttered the teenager.
Kinyua promised not to disappoint the people who support his education.
“I promise my benefactors that I will work hard to become a financial consultant. I also aspire to be a businessman after my studies,” said Kinyua.
His mother who depends on menial jobs for livelihoods said the donation was one big step towards transforming her family.
This gesture according to Ms Wangeci is a godsend as she has been struggling to raise her son’s fee.
“I am grateful someone has offered to help. I was worried my son would have to discontinue his studies because I could not afford his fees, but now I am grateful to God,” said Wangeci
Chances of him joining high school looked slim as his mother could not raise the required Sh18,000 school fees.
“It is indeed a miracle because God came through at the moment when the boy’s family had lost hope. God is real,” she said.
Ms Wangeci described her son as a well behaved and hardworking boy and wished him the very best in his secondary education.
“We had no money but the well-wishers have come to our aid. I thank God and them. This family has had many financial issues which can only be changed by educating my children,” she added.
According to Ms Ndegwa the single mother had no option but to let her son stay at home.
The Director of Realz Hands of Love urged leaders to assist bright and needy students, noting that more pupils are in dire need.
She noted that scores of pupils from Nakuru County lacked school fees and risked dropping out of school.
Ms Ndegwa said the organization helped because it believes in doing good.
“Our constitution has seven objectives, one of which is to get involved in issues affecting our communities,” she stated.
Ms Divia added: “We are doing good because we believe that all that matters is doing good for humanity if you want to help somebody.”
Ms Divia stated that education is the key to success and that is why they are making efforts to promote it.
She urged leaders to join hands, so that bright children from poor backgrounds could be supported to pursue their dreams of better education, as opposed to exposing them to the vagaries of life.
By Emily Kadzo and Dennis Rasto
