By Nyang’au Araka
When Sarah Kwamboka Momanyi’s father died, she thought her future had been completely shattered.
Kwamboka who hails from Esise Ward, Nyamira County was a teenager then and her mother did not know where to find money for her education.
Also Read
“My father had some loans and his demise threw us into darkness,” Kwamboka who is now waiting to join university told KPC in an interview.
Kwamboka had done well in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) when the father died and she was looking forward to join Form One.
She was selected to join Asumbi Girls’ High School but her mother did not have requisite funds to pay fees.
“My mother was struggling and she was considering taking me to a local day school, which was also going to be a tough job for her to pay my fees,” Kwamboka said.
In that state of confusion, she was lucky to be linked to the New Dawn Foundation, which offers scholarships to bright but needy students from Nyamira County.
“I was happy when I joined Asumbi, from whence I sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) last year and obtained a B plain mean grade,” Kwamboka said.
“I now look forward to study nursing. My university of choice is Daystar,” Kwamboka says, adding that she will not hesitate to join any branch of the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) if she gets the chance.
Kwamboka is among the over 30 students from Nyamira County who are on scholarship, courtesy of the New Dawn Foundation.
The scholarship is the brainchild of Dr Henry Ongeri, a prominent lawyer in Kenya and in the United States where he currently practices.
“It’s our small way of giving back to society because I know what it really means to be poor and how education can change the story for the better,” Dr Ongeri says.
Ten of those on scholarships did their KCSE last year and posted impressive grades, and they are looking forward to further their education.
In the cohort is Isabelah Masese, Velma Nyaboke, Alvin Ongaga, Teddy Omwoyo, Eugene Maroko, Simon Engira, Humphrey Agwata, among others.
Masese who hails from Ekerubo Gietai village obtained a B plain and aspires to pursue nursing.
“I excelled from Manga Girls’ Model School and I look forward to pursue my favourite career preferably at Kenyatta University which has been my dream university,” Masese said.
“Nursing has been my dream career since childhood and through it, I hope that I can also give back to society by helping others in need.”
Kwamboka and Masese’s stories are similar to those of other beneficiaries of the scholarship.
For instance, Agwata who obtained a B plain from Kisii School intends to pursue pharmacy, preferably at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Technology (JKUAT).
“My grandmother is a herbalist and I have learnt a lot from her. She has shown me various herbs and what they treat,” Agwata says.
“I believe that the knowledge that I have gained from her will be useful in my area of interest, pharmacy.”
His friend Omwoyo who obtained a B+ (plus) from Riokindo High School is interested to become a dentist and dreams to join Kenyatta University.
“There are very few dentists in the community, yet there is a huge demand for their services,” Omwoyo said.
For Maroko, his dream career is nursing, and he wishes to join the University of Nairobi (UoN) or Maseno University.
Maroko obtained a B+ from Lenana School.
The students were speaking to KPC at a Nyamira hotel, where they were hosted courtesy of New Dawn Foundation for completing their secondary education.
Lisper Onyancha, an official at the foundation said that those who did not attain the grades they targeted at KCSE will receive further guidance on suitable career paths and decisions to pursue.
One of them is Simon, who wanted to pursue medicine but missed the cutoff points and has decided to go for a nursing course after obtaining a B plain from Nyambaria High School.
