When Suheil Mkalla Mumba aced his KCSE exams in 2023, his dream of becoming a doctor seemed closer than ever.
With an impressive A- grade, the first medic in his family and village of Kombani in Kwale County was within reach.
However, the harsh reality of his financial situation now threatens to derail his aspirations.
Mkalla’s journey has been marked by academic excellence and relentless perseverance.
From achieving 389 marks in his KCPE to overcoming significant financial barriers, Mkalla’s story is one of triumph against the odds.
Despite his dreams of attending Dr. Aggrey Boys High School in Wundanyi, his parents’ financial constraints led him to Kwale High School, where he joined in 2020.
“I always wanted to go to Dr. Aggrey, but due to my parents’ financial status, they could not afford to enroll me there. At the time, the County Government was only sponsoring students who had secured positions at national schools, but Dr. Aggrey is an extra-county school. Our quickest option was Kwale High School,” Mkalla explained in a local media interview.
Though fortunate to receive county sponsorship at Kwale High, the support was often insufficient, straining his family’s limited resources.
“I come from a humble background, and sometimes it is difficult for my parents to put food on the table for me and my five siblings,” he added.
Mkalla’s mother, Tatu Mohamed, has made a heartfelt appeal to well-wishers and sponsors to help raise the KSh 490,940 annual fee required for his medical studies at Egerton University.
“We don’t have the capacity to help our son, and we are appealing to sponsors to come out and help him because studying medicine has been his dream since he was a young boy,” she said.
Tatu recounted how Mkalla would often tell her of his desire to become a doctor.
“He kept telling me, ‘Mother, I want to be a doctor, I want to treat people,’ countless times as a young boy. When he grew up, he told me of his desire to be a neurosurgeon,” she shared.
Despite applying for a Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) scholarship, the funds are disbursed well into the semester, leaving the family unable to enroll Mkalla initially.
The introduction of a new university funding model and the defunding of HELB have further compounded their challenges, making it difficult for students from lower-income backgrounds to pursue higher education.
