One of the top candidates from Garissa County in this year’s KCSE examination says her dream to pursue medicine at the university was now a reality.
An elated and shy Katra Ahmed Ali said that she has been agonizing how many women in North Eastern and rural areas have been without proper medical attention and her wish is to pursue medicine and reverse the situation.
Katra who scored an A- with a mean grade of 75 points said the notion that girls from the region can’t perform well in the national examinations is farfetched.
“Girls only lack ample opportunity to realize their dreams. I am sure that with proper facilities, girls can perform wonders in this region,” Ali told KNA Friday evening.
The Umu-Salama girls’ secondary girl was accompanied by both parents and former school Principal Adow Aden to celebrate the splendid performance.
“I expected to perform well since I worked hard and prayed to God. I thank my parents and teachers who have greatly encouraged me to excel in my studies,” she said.
“I want to encourage fellow girls to work hard and remain focused in their studies. My aspiration is to help the general society and be a role model to the girl child,” she added.
Her former school principal said the top girl was never punished for any form of indiscipline during her four year stay.
Aden said they expected the girl to perform even better since she has been leading her class all along.
“Parents should always be close to their children and make following up on their academic progress,” he said.
“Girls should be given opportunity to get an education because they have proven given the chance they can perform extremely well,” he added.
Meanwhile, retrogressive cultural practices including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early marriage and unwillingness of parents to educate girls has continued to impact negatively on education standards in the region.
By Jacob Songok
