By Nyang’au Araka
As schools open their doors for the second term, Senator Essy Okenyuri has captured a familiar moment in the lives of many families.
It is a return marked not only by routines and timetables, but by emotions that often go unspoken.
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For students, Okenyuri acknowledges that going back to school rarely feels simple as it often arrives like a storm, with hearts racing, minds unsettled, and questions lingering in the background.
Learners may ask themselves: “Will I perform better this term? Will my Mathematics results truly reflect the effort I invested? Will I be judged or perhaps misunderstood?”
Yet even in that uncertainty, she urges students to hold firmly to one truth — that grades are only a transient reflection of academic moments, and not a definitive measure of identity, intelligence or potential.
“Rise above the weight of doubt, show up with courage, and resolutely trample upon every thought that tempts you towards surrender,” she says.
Her message, which she published on Facebook, then turns to teachers, in recognition that reopening schools is far more than the return of syllabi, lesson notes, chalk and whiteboards.
Teachers, she notes, stand as custodians of dreams — shaping young minds while often carrying their own silent struggles in the background.
“May you be energized, motivated, and endowed with the wisdom to handle the young Kenyans entrusted to your classrooms,” Okenyuri wrote.
To parents, her words carry appreciation for sacrifice that rarely seeks recognition as she reflects on the burden of school fees, uniforms, and essential provisions — responsibilities that consume a significant portion of family resources.
Often, this compels parents to set aside personal comfort and prestige for the sake of their children’s future.
While children may not yet fully grasp the depth of these sacrifices, she notes that time and maturity will one day reveal the scale of parental devotion, and the cost at which their opportunities were secured.
“I call for a collective grounding in hope and faith, and urge students, teachers, and parents alike to place the academic journey under divine guidance and protection,” the Senator says.
She envisions a term defined by resilience, growth, and meaningful progress across all corners of the education community.
