When the last bell was rung. It sounded “end of high school life”. I did not know how to react. I had an intrapersonal conflict. I always knew this day would come, but now I was in denial since I knew I was now going to face the world, leaving my four year comfort zone behind.
As I left the exam room, flashes of memories raced through my mind in torrents, memories of the day I cleared primary education, of my classmates, memories of the uncertainties I had about my future in high school that seemed so misty, memories of the fear that gripped me of joining the vicious Kibera cycle that now seemed normal and accepted: class 8, early marriage, many kids, drugs, domestic violence and the wheel of poverty turning on. But the fear of the unknown gripped me most. My high school education was hanging precariously despite my sterling performance in the national exams (KCPE)
I fondly I remember seeing the Children of Kibera Foundation Poster at the back of a street light, dust beaten but still legible; announcing scholarship opportunities. That was my opportunity. I grabbed it. The rest is history. I have cleared my four years in high school without a single hiccup, never worried about my school fees, never worried about personal effects; all I had to do was study and engage in extracurricular activities. During school holidays in the scholarships program, I have benefited from mentorship and various enrichment programs. I am confident to face the world.
So grateful I am, for I have met some of my former schoolmates in primary school, they are caught up in the cycle, but here I am, rearing to go!
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I am proud of you!
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