A 39-year-old learner and mother of two has made a bold and decisive move to trek eight kilometres daily in pursuit of a university degree.
Betty Yamal says the qualification will enhance both her economic and social standing in the community, besides increasing her chances of securing employment.
Her determined journey began on September 6, 2026, when she joined more than 9,000 first-year students who enrolled at Tharaka University in Tharaka Nithi County.
Yamal insists that despite the age difference between her and her classmates, she is comfortably pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree in English and Literature, with mutual respect between her, fellow students and lecturers.
"I am pursuing a degree course in Education (English and Literature). Though my fellow students are much younger than me, we are relating very well. They respect me just as I respect them. The same applies to the good lecturers and others in the university," said Yamal.
However, her determination to acquire higher education comes with considerable personal and financial challenges.
The mother of two says she has to leave her eight-year-old daughter at home to look after her three-year-old child whenever she attends lectures because she cannot afford to employ a househelp.
"I leave my children in the house. My daughter is eight years and the baby is three years. Finances are a challenge, so she takes care of the baby when I go to school," she revealed.
Currently living in Marimanti, Yamal walks eight kilometres to the university's main campus daily, leaving her children at home as she pursues her studies.
Difficult childhood inspires determination
Yamal's determination to acquire an education is rooted in a difficult childhood marked by separation from her parents and financial hardship.
She revealed that her mother was still in Class Eight when she gave birth to her and subsequently left her under the care of her grandparents to continue her education.
"My mother was in Class Eight when she gave birth to me, and she left me with my grandparents. She went on to complete Form Four and then got married," she recalled.
Yamal says she was raised by her grandparents, who have since died, and never had the opportunity to be breastfed by her biological mother.
According to her, her grandmother breastfed her because she had also given birth around the same time as Yamal's mother.
"I was told that it was my grandmother who breastfed me because she and my mother had babies almost at the same time," she said.
She remembers with sadness that her grandparents died just three months apart, shortly after she completed her secondary school education.
Yamal also revealed that she never met her father, while her mother remarried when she was still young.
Despite the difficulties, she managed to complete her secondary education at Ikutha Girls in Kitui County, where she attained a C+ in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.
However, her family's financial circumstances prevented her from proceeding directly to university.
Financial hardship threatens university dream
Years later, Yamal is determined to complete her studies and secure employment to support her children.
She says her family's financial situation remains difficult, particularly after her husband lost his job in the construction industry.
The family previously lived in Mombasa and Kilifi counties but eventually relocated to her husband's rural home after unemployment made life increasingly difficult.
"My husband is currently jobless after his construction job ended. We had lived in Mombasa and Kilifi, but after we became jobless and life became unbearable, we went back to his rural home," she explained.
Despite these challenges, Yamal remains optimistic about completing her degree.
"I am very happy because I had almost given up on my dream of going to university. I thank God for that. I am feeling fine and studying well. Studying comes easily for me," she said.
She is appealing for financial assistance to enable her to pay university fees and continue her education without interruption.
"I would really be happy if I could get assistance to pay my university fees. It is a big challenge. I am very committed to studying, graduating and getting a job so that I can take care of my children," she said.
Yamal hopes that completing her degree will open employment opportunities both locally and abroad, including through the government's Kazi Majuu programme.
For now, the 39-year-old remains focused on her studies, determined to overcome the financial difficulties standing between her and her dream of becoming a graduate.
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