Many students raised in poor backgrounds have faced challenges in pursuing different courses upon completing their secondary school education.
This situation is familiar to Nehemiah Koech, whose dreams of higher education were shattered due to financial constraints.
Despite scoring an A- in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam, Nehemiah’s aspirations were put on hold.
He turned to doing manual jobs, including working as a security guard, in a bid to raise funds for his education.
His life took unexpected turn when a local media house aired his story in February 2023e leading to an outpouring of support from well-wishers who were deeply moved by his plight.
Among the individuals who extended a helping hand was philanthropist Irene Mureithi.
With Mureithi’s assistance, he received admission to Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega, where he embarked on his nursing course in September 2023.
âIn September, Nehemiah officially reported to Masinde Muliro University. He is a Bachelor of Nursing student,â read a Facebook post made by philanthropist Ndungâu Nyoro, who works with Mureithi in one organization.
Nehemiah was a beneficiary of a scholarship program that saw him finish his secondary education at Baringo High School.
He continued his studies at St. Paul’s University, pursuing a course in Computer Science.
Unfortunately, his academic pursuits were halted when the sponsors supporting his education withdrew their financial backing, leaving him in a state of despair.
To overcome this challenges with a pursuit of completeing his studies, Nehemiah took on various manual labor jobs.
He worked as a security guard, earning a modest daily wage of Sh200.
In addition, he dug septic tanks, putting in long hours of hard work to save money for his university education.
Nehemiah acted as the breadwinner for his family, a heavy responsibility that only added to his determination.
His efforts to seek help from various politicians proved futile, and he found himself at a crossroads.
However, the tide turned dramatically when his story was aired on Citizen TV, capturing the attention of the nation.
It was during this critical period that Irene Mureithi stepped in as a guardian angel.
