Kiandutu Girl Beats All Odds To Top County With Straight As.
Despite all the hardships
she had to go through to complete her secondary education, Juliet Akinyi from
the sprawling Kiandutu Slums in Thika Sub-County managed to get perfect scores in
this year’s KCSE exams, igniting jubilation from both Kiambu and Murang’a
Counties.
Akinyi emerged KCSE 2016 leading candidate in Murang’a County
after scoring straight As of 81 points. Her scores were as follows; English B,
Kiswahili A, Mathematics A, Biology A-, Physics A, Chemistry A Geography A and
CRE A.
Despite constantly being sent home for school fees
throughout her high school life, the 18 year old student at Mugoiri Girls high
school remained focused to excel. Her resolve was driven by the urge to succeed
in life and eventually be in a position to support her family of six siblings.
Speaking to Thika Town Today from her family home,
Akinyi said life has been full of challenges but determination kept her focused.
She recounted how their family had to struggle to make ends meet. With a
jobless father, her mother roasts maize and does manual jobs to fend for the
family.
“My teachers and parents have been of great help to me and despite
the myriad challenges I faced, I remained focused to achieving my goals. My
parents are jobless but they have always gone out of their way to see me go
through school,” said Akinyi.
Her mother Joyce Achieng expressed her joy saying her
daughter had made the family proud as all her efforts to raise her yielded
fruits.
“I do manual jobs like working in farms and washing
clothes for the rich families in the neighbourhood to support my family.
Am happy that she has maintained good discipline and working hard in her life
in school,” she said.
The family has fees arrears to clear and are seeking
for well-wishers’ support to assist Akinyi realise her dreams. Akinyi plans to
pursue a degree in pharmacy at the university as a dream career since childhood.
Mugoiri deputy Principal Wambui Mwangi described this
particular candidate as one of the most obedient and much disciplined. She
hinted that that Akinyi had interest in Mathematics and had won a
scholarship with Strathmore University after emerging the best during
mathematics contest.
“She has been an outstanding student since joining us and
was a role model to many owing to her polite character,” said the deputy
principal.
Akinyi was identified by the management of Makuyu By Grace Academy
who sponsored her education in their school after transferring from General
Kago Primary School in Thika. She managed 384 marks in her KCPE exams to join
Mugoiri Girls High school.
As fate would have it, Juliet’s younger sister Beryl Auma
completed her primary school education this year and attained 372 marks out of
the possible 500. She has been admitted to Chania Girls High School in Thika
West Sub-County but the family is unsure whether she will join the school.
“I am stranded. I do not know what to do with her as I
cannot afford to pay her fees now. I can only appeal to well-wishers to come to
her aid and ensure she joins secondary school,” said Juliet’s mother.
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