DREAM CHASER: Return to class by a market woman

Each day, our doors welcome hundreds of people, some seeking medical care, others pursuing jobs or handling personal and corporate matters.

It's a pulsing heart of activity, where hundreds arrive, each seeking something vital, be it solace, cure or opportunity.

One balmy Sunday afternoon, as the sun cast a golden glow over the city, a woman walked in, probably in her 40s, clad in a well-worn apron that hinted at her trade in the nearby market.

I approached her with a courteous yet routine customer care smile, ready to assist.

“Are you here for treatment?” I asked. “No,” she replied. “Visiting someone?”

“No.” “Do you have an appointment?” Still no.

Curious, I gently asked what had brought her in. With quiet determination, she told me she had taken her lunch break, during one of the busiest market days, to inquire about the academic programmes offered by our hospital's college.

"Are you planning to enrol your child?" I asked.

She looked straight at me and said with a spark in her eyes, "No. I’m enrolling myself. Do I look too old for school? I want to become a healthcare professional."

Her words were radiant, filled with the bold energy of someone who had dared to dream again.

I smiled and she smiled back like a child spotting their parent arriving home with a bag full of sweets.

I was struck by her courage. Here stood a woman who had put her dreams on hold for more than two decades. Life may have delayed her but it did not defeat her. She was ready to reclaim her story, on her own terms, in her own time.

She was not just going back to class, she was rewriting her future. 

SECOND CHANCE

This woman, and countless others like her in the vibrant arteries of places like Kibuye, Gikomba and Kongowea markets, are not ‘academic dwarfs’. They are women whose stories and academic dreams were cut short by the circumstances brought about by the harsh and unpredictable nature of life, where survival often takes precedence over schooling.  

They are intelligent, capable individuals, whose potential was merely deferred, not diminished.

Their resilience is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the inherent value of knowledge.

It is an incontestable truth that education is no longer the sole prerequisite for landing a plum white-collar job at a leading blue-chip company. Statistics from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance show that the bulk of businesses operating in the country are run by entrepreneurs who have not attained any university education. 

The data from their survey on micro, small and medium enterprises indicates that university graduates rank lowest in the establishment of a business.

A number of entrepreneurs have built successful empires through hard work and determination despite leaving school without a university degree to their name.

The study clearly indicates that higher education and good grades do not directly translate to lifelong success.

Factual as it may be, the report by Kepsa should not discourage and dampen the spirits of young scholars burning the midnight oil on campus.

It should not be used as a reference by dream killers who peddle the washed-up and ill-driven mantra “doing well in school is nothing to be proud of”.

Pursuing knowledge still remains a valuable endeavour, even though the notion that rewards should go to the most intelligent is not the sign of a fair society but a truly unjust one.

For the woman from Kibuye market, going back to school is not about securing a white-collar job; it's about fulfilling a lifelong aspiration, expanding her horizons and contributing to society in a new and meaningful way.

Her journey reminds us that education is not just a ladder to economic prosperity but a pathway to personal growth, empowerment and the realisation of deferred dreams.

It is a fundamental right and a powerful tool for transformation, irrespective of age or past circumstances.

Her courage to embrace this transformative power is a beacon for all who believe it is never too late to learn, to grow and to shine. She Is power, purpose, unstoppable: It's never too late to rise.