The inevitable way to success (My true story)
It was late in the evening after taking super and I was having a chat with mum. The radio had announced that the K.S.C.E results for the year 2007 would be released the following day. I had been a candidate that year and as usual I was nervous to know how I had fared. It seemed that mum was sure I would get a good grade to join University, Yes; I always got good grades in all the previous exams prior to K.C.S.E and this made mum to belief that I would as well score well in the final exam. I too knew very well that I had done my best for the four years in high school and here I was eagerly waiting to know my results. At first I thought something was not well due to the excess nervousness and anxiety I had, but I convinced myself it was normal for anyone to be nervous at such a time.
Finally the long waited day was here. It was around eleven in the morning and the minister for education by then Prof Sam Ongeri was reading out the results. Mum and I sat close to the radio to listen as the results were been announced. I knew very well that my name couldn’t be among the best students been read by the minister. All the same, I gave close attention to all the details.
Afterwards, I ran to the nearby market to buy some airtime as the results were been accessed through mobile phones. I rushed back home and after doing the necessary, I waited for the Sms which would determine the next step to take in my life. Finally the text came. I didn’t belief what I saw at first. Mum was there looking at me. She knew that something had gone wrong. I didn’t know how I could explain this to her. My results had been cancelled and as such my mean grade was Y. I had many A’s in most of the subjects and a Y in physics. “No results mum”, I told her but she didn’t get what I meant. I had to explain it to her very well. This was one of the most difficulty times for me ever. Mum could not take it. She burst in tears and I couldn’t help. I knew very well that she had much hope in me and now it seemed that this hope had been shut down. However, we had to be strong and life had to move on with or without the results.
It was the same year also when my young brother had joined Thika high school in forms one to begin his secondary education. There was no money for his school fees and thus dad had to sell almost all the goats we had to take him to school. It happened that the same day our results were released my brother was coming home for the mid- term break. He too was very anxious to know how his elder brother had performed. But it seemed that he knew very well I must have excelled. He brought with him something for us to eat and celebrate. He didn’t have money and thus he couldn’t afford anything expensive. Yes; he had bought some bananas and I knew very well he had strained to get them. Although I didn’t have anything to smile about, I didn’t want my brother to feel stressed by my results. I thanked him and took one banana assuring him that all would be well.
My brother left for school the following week. I escorted him to the bus stop early in the morning. I would see in his face how much scared and worried he was; probably worried whether he would ever finish his high school education and now whether there could be any money for his elder brother to go back to school. I gave him some coins I had in my pocket and I went back to home not knowing what was awaiting me now. Home was not home anymore, I kept on crying every time I thought of my future and not knowing when I would go back to school to re-sit for my exams again. I knew very well that bus fare was a problem leave along the school fees.
After a week, I told mum that I could not wait any longer and I needed to go back to school. She didn’t know what to tell me. In the evening, she gave me Ksh 1000/=. “That’s all we have son, I don’t know where we’ll get the school fees for you”. All I wanted was only to find myself back to school. But this was not that easy for me. After super, mum and I talked for a while and I told her that I would go back to school the following day. We had our evening prayers and after I went to my room to rest after ensuring that I had packed everything for my journey back to school the following day.
Finally the day came. Mum escorted me to bus stop and I had to leave now. “Go well son and Study hard. Anything we get we’ll sent to you” she told me as I boarded the matatu back to school. I knew that this was going to be a long and a difficulty journey for me, yes full of emotions but I had to go anyway. I arrived at Machakos country bus at around 10 am. There I met with my friend Bernard Ongere whom we had been communicating the previous day. Like me, his results too had also been cancelled. So we proceeded together to Kathiani high school. This was the same school we had been and therefore we knew were to begin.
I went straight to the principal’s office. I knew it would be hard for me to be admitted without the school fees but I had to explain my case to him. All the same, we got admitted to the school again and now I proceeded to meet my old friends some who would now be my new classmates. I didn’t have school uniform so I depended on my friends who donated some shirts and trousers to me. Evening came and after preps I went to rest in the dormitory which I had not thought I would ever sleep in again after my last day in school the previous year. I borrowed a phone to text mum and tell her that I arrived well. I had to take a rest now, but this was going to be a long night. I thought I was dreaming but the reality came to me the following day and after a few days with the same routine, I had to fit back in the system.
After one week, we sat for the end of term exams and I emerged the best student with A. This didn’t give me anything to smile about, no bragging but the truth is that I had been used to the same position even in the previous years. Yes, I was index one in the previous KSCE results that had been cancelled. After the April holiday we resumed back to school. Life wasn’t easy at all. From home I had money only enough for my bus fare, so I relied on my friends for my survival for the rest of the term. I realized how I had lost my jovial face I had before. I liked been alone and not speaking so much. This wasn’t my character though but circumstances had changed me.
Every time students were sent home for school fees, my name was always on the list. I don’t remember the number of times I was on my way home for school fees the worst moment been on the last days towards the KCSE exams. I was on my way home for school fees a day prior to the sitting rehearsals. All the same, I managed to re-sit for the exam. With KSCE exams over, I went back to home to wait for the results. Things were not well at home but life had to move on. Dad said that my young brother would either transfer to the nearby day school or drop from school as there was no more money for his school fees. This is something I would not allow to happen. I convinced dad that I would help him raise the school fees for my brother but I didn’t have any means by then. I only trusted in God that one day things would be well and thus encouraged my brother not to lose the direction. I knew we were moving on this tough path at such a time. Yes, it was the inevitable way to success.
So in Dec 2008, I left home to Nairobi determined to do any kind of job I would get provided I would get some coins and assist dad raise the school fees for my young brother. I went to stay with the family of my friend and my classmate Bernard Ongere whom we had re-sat for the exam together. I kept walking around looking for all sorts of jobs I would be offered. It was not easy though, but I didn’t want to lose hope. In Jan 2009, I got my first job as a charcoal seller. I was to start with a salary of Ksh 2000/=, though food and accommodation had been catered for. This wasn’t much but I didn’t mind. I thanked God for the opportunity. Before the end of the first month, my boss said that I had worked so well and his business had started doing well so he decided to pay me double the amount we had agreed on earlier. So my first salary now was Ksh 4000/=.
I sent all the money to dad to help raise fees for my brother and this continued to happen at the end of each month. On 4th March, I learnt that the KSCE results would be released the following day on. I asked for a day off and went to be with my friend Bernard Ongere to wait for the results to be announced. The day came and it was on 5th March 2009 a year now after what had happened to our results the previous year. Memories were still fresh in our minds. Different from the previous year, this time I was watching as the same minister Prof Sam Ongeri read out the results. Still nervous and not knowing our fate, our eyes glued to the Television and finally the results had been released. As usual we send our details to that Sms number and waited for the response. My friend Ongere was the first one to receive his results. “Muia things are not bad here”, he said. Yes; he had an A. At first I was very happy to know that he had made it, but I realized I was still waiting to receive my results too and thus became a bit nervous. After a while, I received my text also. “Ongere we have made it”, I told my friend as we jumped up with joy. I also had an A. I send the results to my mum immediately and she called right away. She was unable to speak but this time round because of joy. “God is great”, that’s all I heard from her.
So the celebration continued for the rest of the day thanking God that I could now get back my smile and could see some light ahead of the tunnel. The following day early in the morning, I started receiving calls from my teachers and friends congratulating me. Through there calls, I realized that my name was somewhere on the newspaper. Yes; I was the best student in our district and ranked number 72 in Eastern province. I didn’t want to belief them so either way I got a copy of the newspaper and I saw my name there. I burst in tears; Yes, tears of joy as I took a heavy breath and tracing back the path I had walked through. But again I thought I still had a long journey to go remembering that I had the responsibility to raise the school fees for my brother and support our family. I thanked God and continued to trust that He would always see us through to the end.
In April the same year, I had to move from Nairobi to Machakos to try other means of job. Before I moved from Nairobi, there was one thing disturbing me. There was this boy by the name John whom I had met at this place where I worked as a charcoal seller. He had dropped from his primary education at class four but still young by then 10 years old. I enquired from him why he dropped from school and his story was long and touching. Anyway, I managed to buy him some exercise books and a pair of shoes and he had resumed his primary school again. Every day he came to eat lunch and sometimes super at my place in the evening after school. We had become good friends by then and he could not accept my idea of me moving from Nairobi to Machakos. However, I knew very well I had to move. It was in the evening and John came to see me off as I was left my place of work ready to travel to Machakos the following day. I could see on his face that he was quite unhappy and very worried. “Now when you go, where will I be going for lunch in the afternoon?” he asked me and this scared me a bit as I didn’t have an answer to give him. “I will leave you with Jesus who will provide you with everything you’ll need”, I told him. I knew he didn’t like my answer but at least I saw a smile in his face. After shaking hands with him and promising that I would come and visit him later, I boarded a motorbike to my friend’s home Bernard where I had been staying for all the time I was in Nairobi. I had told them that I was moving to Machakos the following day.
So the day came and I was on my way to Machakos. I didn’t know where I would spend my first night at. I had organized with some students from my former high school Kathiani that I go and have a tuition with them during the April holiday. I called one of them to tell him that he would accommodate me on that night as I look for a place the following day not knowing that their home would be my home henceforth. Immediately I arrived at their home, his parents welcomed me warmly and I felt at home immediately. I organized for the tuition which initially I only anticipated to have five students from my former high school. However, before the end of the first week I got over 40 students who turned up for the tuition from other different schools. I did my best to assist them. At the end of the tuition, I had over Ksh 20000. But as usual I would give it to my dad for my brother’s fees. So after the tuition I went home this been the first time I was meeting mum and my brother after I left home for Nairobi the previous year. I would see that the hope they had in me had been restored especially after the KSCE results. It was a nice reunion and for the first time since the time my results had been cancelled the previous year, we had a small celebration at home thanking God for everything.
My brother went back to school now in form two for his second term. This time I had managed to pay more than half of his school fees in form of a banker’s cheque which I gave him as left for school. I assured him that we would send the remaining balance in the course of the term. I knew very well my brother was now full of hope and he promised to work hard to excel. I left home back to Machakos now not knowing what kind of a job I would get. I had my KSCE result slip and I was determined to secure a job of teaching in one of the secondary schools within Machakos town. Luckily, I got a job in Machakos Central High school. It was a small school though and as expected the pay wasn’t much. But I was always motivated by the fact that I was sharing my knowledge to others and this kept me moving despite the small pay. I was also given big responsibilities in the school, the most challenging been the dean of curriculum and in charge of exams. This went on for the entire year and I was happy my brother was now moving to form three the following year still doing my best to raise his school fees.
The following year I moved to a new school at Kangundo away from Machakos. This was also the same year I was supposed to join Campus and therefore I had a challenge trying to save some coins and at the same time helping to raise the school fees for my brother. Dad had to organize for a fund raising harambee for my school fees and some for my brother’s fees. All in all, I managed to join campus in August 2010. I had been called to join Kenyatta University where I would pursue my first degree in Medical Laboratory Science.
The long waited day came and here I was on my way to Kenyatta University. I came on the reporting day and went back home to come later one day prior to the matriculation ceremony. I must say I was excited and happy that I had made my way to the university now. But I still felt that I had a long way to go. Well, campus life wasn’t easy; I only depended on the Helb loan for my school fees and for my upkeep and of course it couldn’t sustain me to the end. Been in the medical school, we didn’t have a long holiday but only a short break of probably one month. But I had known how to hustle by now and I would manage to have some coins which would sustain me for some time and at times I would get something for my brother’s fees.
By the time I was in my second year, my brother was now in form four waiting to sit for his KCSE examination. I kept on encouraging him to give it his best despite that many are the times he was at home due to lack of school fees. I visited him at on the last weekend before the exam begun in a bid to give him a moral support. I remember I only had Ksh 400/= in my pocket and I knew very well that my brother didn’t have any pocket money; so I gave him Ksh 300/= promising that I would send him bus fare after the exams. We talked shortly and then I left just praying that God would help him to get a good grade and qualify to join University.
By the end of February 2012, the KSCE results for my brother were out. He managed to get a B+ of 73 points missing A- by one point. My brother was happy and I was very happy. We thanked God for his success. At least I knew he would now join University. Two weeks later after the results were released; he came to visit me at Kenyatta University as he came from his former high school Thika to collect the results. By now he had started some small hustles at home and he could afford to give me leave me some pocket money. He gave me Ksh 200/= as I escorted him to the bus stop but had to enquire whether he had enough bus fare. I knew him very well and he could give you a smile even when things are tough. Anyway, I was also broke and I couldn’t resist the offer.
Later I would help him fill the applications for the JAB intake. Somehow he wanted to join K.u where I was. In September 2012, the admission letter came. He had been called to join Kenyatta University where he would pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Health services Management. This time round we didn’t have a fund raising for his school fees. My brother had saved enough money for his first semester fees. So here he came and I was there to receive him. We were all happy and thanked God that both of us were now in the same university. He would get a higher Helb loan than me and thus he would give me some few coins when I got broke. During my final year in K.u, we became roommates in the hostels. We could now help each other well now that we were staying in the same room.
To end the story, I managed to finish my first degree in K.u last year 2014 and graduated in December. By God’s grace, I managed to get good grades that helped me get a scholarship for my Master’s degree. By the time I graduated at K.u, I had already done my first semester for the Master’s degree. Currently am now a second year student in JKUAT where am doing my master’s degree in Clinical Histopathology & Diagnostic Cytology. My brother graduated this year in July at Kenyatta University with a First Class Honors in Health Services Management. It’s only by God’s grace we have come to this far. I wish to thank all who have supported us to this far especially our parents. Thanks to all my friends; my primary schoolmates and friends, I cherish you so much; my high school classmates and others who stood with me even when I couldn’t even afford to have a school uniform, God bless you abundantly; my Campus friends and classmates too, we have always shared much, god bless you all. To all who have touched my life in one way or the other; sometimes been like parents and siblings to me, I cherish you all. We are a happy family and we thank God for His sufficient grace. We have come through this tough path, sometimes we couldn’t evade it; IT WAS THE INEVITABLE WAY TO SUCCESS. Never give up my brother and my sister for you never know why you are walking through such a path. Push through the challenges with hope and determination for the future is bright and yet promising.
