• Atieno said she exercised a high level of discipline, worked extra hard and believed in God to score an A- of 79 points.
• Ouma said he used to pay fees in bits between Sh500 and Sh2,000.
A girl from Wang’apala village in Homa Bay who scored A- in KCSE has appealed to well-wishers to help her offset high school fee balance and fund her university education.
Christine Atieno Ouma, 17, the second born in a family of six children, sat her KCSE exams at Ogande Girls High School.
Atieno said she exercised a high level of discipline, worked extra hard and believed in God to score an A- of 79 points.
“I had to perform well to help my family and by God’s grace and support from teachers and parents, I scored A-,” Atieno said.
She sat her KCPE exam at Odar Primary School and got 356 marks. Atieno narrated that she almost failed to join secondary school due to lack of fees.
"My father has been struggling to pay school fees for me little by little through menial jobs like digging and weeding people's farms,” Atieno said.
Atieno hopes to pursue medicine at Jomo Kenyatta University and appealed for support.
“I want to call upon the government, well-wishers and non-government organisations to make my dream a reality,” Atieno said.
She pleaded with Ida Odinga, an alumnus of Ogande, to hold her hand through education.
Her father Philemon Ouma praised Atieno for posting good results.
“We thank God, teachers and Ogande Girls High School chief principal Dr Jenipher Otolo for the excellent performance,” he said.
Ouma said he still owes the school a huge fee balance of more than Sh30,000.
He said he used to pay fees in bits between Sh500 and Sh2,000.
“I do menial work to earn a living for my family. The little I get I use it in feeding them and paying Atieno's fees. It has not been easy for us,” Ouma said.
He said when Atieno almost failed to join Form One, Dr Otolo swiftly intervened and ensured the girl was admitted despite not having school fees.
“We did not have fees or money to buy the required items. I thought of taking her to day school but still we had no money,” Ouma said.
He has appealed to well-wishers to help offset the high school fee balance and fund Atieno to join university.
“We are praying that well-wishers would come our way to sponsor her. We are urging anybody that God will speak in his or her heart to kindly support this girl. She will one day help others,” Ouma said.