The girl who topped her school during last year’s KCPE exam, only to land admission into a national boy’s school may finally join Ng’iya girls national school, following the intervention of government officials.
Gloria Adhiambo Owino, a former pupil at Nyalgunga primary school in North Alego beamed with joy Thursday as she, together with her parents, went to Ng’iya girls’ school in company of the area deputy county commissioner Robert Ng’etich and education officials.
After a brief closed door meeting, the officials who included Siaya sub county director of education, Maurice Saka and the school principal, Hellen Juma told the media that the school was ready to offer her a chance and has already put in a request to the ministry of education to make the necessary approvals.
Ng’etich who is also the sub county chair of the education board said the government will work round the clock to see that Gloria gets a rightful placement to a school she deserves.
“We interacted with her and she is happy with Ng’iya school” said the deputy county commissioner.
Saka attributed the error that led to the placing of the girl to Lenana school to an entry that identified her gender as male instead of female.
He assured the family that the matter will be sorted to enable the girl pursue her dreams.
On her part, Juma confirmed that her office had already done the necessary and exuded confidence that the ministry of education will give them a nod to admit Gloria.
However, with the issue of admission almost sorted, Gloria’s family was still faced with the challenge of school fees and other requirements that their daughter will need to complete her secondary education.
Gloria’s father, Fredrick Owino and mother, Margaret Awuor who also accompanied her to Ng’iya girls’ school thanked government officials for their intervention, but appealed to well-wishers to come to the aid of their daughter as they are destitute.
Owino and his wife rely on odd jobs such as cultivating land for people for their survival.
Yesterday, young Gloria and her mother appealed for government intervention to have her placed into a school to enable her achieve her vision of becoming a doctor and lecturer in sciences.
The family expressed fear that a week to the reporting of form ones, their daughter was still stranded with the boy’s school admission form that also saw her locked out of bursary and scholarship programmes because of the anomaly.
Talking to journalists at Nyalgunga, the 14-year-old Gloria narrated how his father became alarmed while scrutinizing the admission form when he came across some of the requirements.
“He stumbled upon one of the requirements as long trousers as part of the uniform and this is the time it dawned on us that this was a boys’ school” lamented Gloria.
She says that the shock that they had dimmed all her hopes and, with no one to help, they resigned to fate, hoping that the government will realize the mistake and place her to another school.
“As I am taking, this is the only admission letter I have received,” she said, while displaying the calling letter from Lenana school.
The young girl says that she was surprised to have been admitted to Lenana as she did not select it.
“We were told to select three national schools and I selected Alliance girls, Kisumu Girls and Starehe girls” she says adding that in extra county schools, she selected St. Francis Rang’ala girls, Sinaga girls and Sega girls, all in Siaya county.
“I am pleading with Kenyans to come to my aid to enable me join a boarding school, where I will concentrate on my studies and realize my dream” she said, adding that she was working hard to get good marks that would enable her get a chance to get a good school.
Gloria says that she wants to contribute positively to the Nyalgunga and Kenyan society at large and ensure that her family relocates from a small single room at the market.
Due to the error, the family laments that they could not successfully apply for any bursary support as the well-wisher could not understand why a girl could be admitted into a boy’s school.
Her mother, Margaret Awuor, a casual labourer who like her husband does odd jobs in the village says that they have resigned to fate.
Awuor says that her daughter had all through been seeking assurance that she will pursue secondary education once she excels in her KCPE.
“As a parent, I was always encouraging her that God will not forsake her” she says, adding that their only hope lies with well-wishers after they failed to get bursary support due to the error.
Awuor says that if all does not work out, then they will have to plead for admission in the nearby day secondary schools.
She joined her daughter in calling on the government and well-wishers to assist her daughter pursue her secondary education.
By Philip Onyango
