Peter Ngige Kimani
My name is Peter Ngige Kimani. This is the name I was given after I was born on Feb 28th 1991 in a village known as Nyakiambi, Elburgon Division in the Molo District.
I was born among six others, two brothers and four sisters. I am the second born in our family. Our first born brother who was born in 1988, began his primary course in 1995 but he later left in Class Seven due to lack of school fees. Our father was a peasant farmer and was unable to both food and school fees for us because we depended on a quarter acre of land for our output.
It was at this time in year 1999 when I was 8 years old that my aunt adopted me as one of her sons. She was living in Mathare in one of the slums of Nairobi. This is where I started my primary course in Class One until Class Five when my aunt passed away in year 2003. Rebecca Wanjiru Kuiyaki was the name of my aunt who was a member of Jamii Bora Trust. She had already introduced us to the organisation before her death. At this moment I was hopeless and I thought that was the end of my education. But at this moment of confusion God sent help through Jamii Bora led by Mama Ingrid who assured to support us in our education. That is when I transferred back to our village where I stayed with my grandmother. I was the luckiest in our family to be privileged the chance of sponsorship. I did my first KCPE in year 2005, but repeated the same class in year 2006 in order to attain the required marks for high school qualifications. I managed to score 326 marks.
I joined form I in Feb 22nd 2007 in Larmudiae Secondary School Mjono near Egerton University. I later transferred to Oloitokilok Boys High School due to post-election violence of year 2007, which left our family poorer than before after everything including the only shelter was turned to ash.
I worked hard in my studies for one and a half years in Oloitokilok High School trusting in God that I will be self-reliant one day. But when we were in form three in year 2009, the organisation was short of funds and we were forced to stay for a whole term without learning. At this time we were staying at Kitengela Boys Home before we migrated to Kaputiei where Mama Ingrid came with the idea of starting her own school. Because we stayed for a full term without learning, we could not proceed to the next class so we repeated the same class (form 3) in year 2010. I didn’t give up because I’m determined and I have a vision.
My vision is to work hard and well in my academics so that one day I will achieve my goal of being a teacher. I will teach our people all skills required in order to come out of poverty and to be self-reliant. I believe that I will make it even though our school lacks most facilities including laboratories. I know God will make a break through and I shall achieve what God has for me.
Eliakim Onyuga
My name is Eliakim Onyuga, born in 24th March 1992. I’m from a family of seven. Two girls and five boys. Having been born in a family of many problems, I ran home to live with my grandmother back at my mother’s home. In 1996, things got worse when my father passed away.
It was because of God’s grace that my father married a committed mother because, despite the many challenges, she never gave up on us and kept on struggling to raise us. She has been and will remain a mother never to forget and love forever for what she has done.
I started schooling in 1995 when I joined Kandengwa School at baby class. This was a year earlier before the death of my father. It was in 1998 when I was to join class three when things got worse. I had no fees to continue schooling. I had to drop out for a year. I’m glad that so far things have changed and I have had a chance to continue schooling. Currently, I am in high school looking forward to do my final exam in the coming year.
In life I have faced a lot of challenges. Lacking fees has been my greatest challenge but so far I am glad that things have changed. I believe that with God all things are possible and that’s why I see my challenges as my pride and strength. I always pray and believe that one day I will be one of the best lawyers in the world.
This may be so if only all the necessities are put in place for studies. Having good shelter and clothing will aid in one’s success and not forgetting that it is the first of suffering that brings forth the gold of godliness. It’s only a matter of focusing on what matters most and what’s ahead or where I am headed as a person. I believe that I have a purpose that God put me on this planet Earth for and this can be accomplished with education. That’s why I value education as the key to all that anyone would wish to be. It is my belief that after every toil, my life will never be the same again for they say he who yearns to win fame must not shun toil.