The Lands Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Gideon Mung’aro on Saturday brightened the hopes of a bright needy boy by sponsoring him to join Maranda High School in Siaya County.
Mung’aro gave Godfrey Zacharia Jumapili over Sh.103,000 to pay his form one fees and do some shopping, thus ending days of agony for the 16-year old boy whose hope to join his dream school had been dimmed by poverty.
Jumapili, who hails from Ndonye village in Mptepeni Ward of Kilifi County, had failed to secure sponsorship from the Ward Scholarship Fund, the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) as well as Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly and the KCB Foundation.
The boy, who scored 409 marks in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), reportedly missed scholarship from the NG-CDF in Kilifi South since he had done his examinations in an academy while the policy is to sponsor students from public schools.
His plight which was highlighted by local media and reached the CAS, who started searching for the boy with the aim of assisting him.
“I was on my way home from my Nairobi office when I heard the story on radio and began searching for the boy because I felt the desire to assist him so he does not lose his place at Maranda,” Mung’aro told reporters.
This is after he handed the boy, his father, Godfrey John Mikoi and teacher Vincent Mwangala a banker’s cheque of Sh.53,554 and Sh.50,000 in cash for shopping at a resort in Nyali at the home of the boy’s parents.
Mung’aro, whose father is bedridden at the Mombasa Hospital, said he had to sacrifice to ensure the boy reports to school and called on other well-wishers to come to the youngster’s aid to enable him complete school.
Jumapili expressed joy that he would join the school, since Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha extended the reporting time to Friday this week.
“I had completely lost hope but I am now happy that I will join form one,” Jumapili, who aspires to be a medical doctor, told journalists at his parent’s home in Ndonye after receiving the sponsorship.
His father, Mikoi, said his son had been crying since he learnt that he would not join secondary school despite performing well in KCPE.
“When the results were released, our Member of Parliament, Ken Chonga asked all students who had been selected to join national schools to go to his office.
“However, when we reached the office of our MCA, we were told that those who has sat their exams in private schools would not board the vehicle to the MP’s office,” he said.
By Emmanuel Masha
