By Norah Musega
From a local day school in Rongo sub county of Migori county, Nicholas Ochieng of Nyarach mixed Secondary school managed to score a mean of A- of 79 points leading in the class of 2020.
The total orphan who expected to attain an A plain of 81 points sat his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education in 2017 and scored 340 marks. He was about to be enrolled at a nearby jua kali industry to be trained on welding skills by his grandmother who lived with him due to lack of finances to sponsor his secondary education before his aunt decided to sponsor him.
Ochieng who received an admission letter to Onjiko Boys, was later enrolled at Nyarach secondary school in Rongo where his elder brother had just sat his national exams leading the class of 2017 after he scored B+.
“I lost both parents at a tender age. I lived with my grandmother during my primary school time. I’m so lucky that my aunt was able to take me through the next level of education despite the financial challenges that would arise in the process but she has brought me closer towards realising my ambitions of studying medicine at the university level,” said Ochieng.
“I’m confident with the grades I registered on the subjects required for course that I can still achieve it.
Ochieng who also revealed that he has one other young sibling told Education News that he prays to God for a well wisher who would help him realise his university ambition and together with his elder brother they would get the opportunity to change their story and that of his aunt who he owes his achievements to.
“I owe the results I got to my sponsors and teachers at the institution for their support and words of encouragement especially Mr Justus Kamusa and the teacher in charge of the school library who lent me several books for revision and encouraging me to work hard,” he added.
Speaking to Education News Ochiengs’ aunt Ms. Regina Atieno who could not hide her joy and noted that she has no regrets in sponsoring her sisters’ children through their secondary education and was ready to sacrifice all that she could to help them realise their ambitions.
“Every sacrifice we have made together with my husband has surely borne good fruits in the boys. They have made us proud and at this moment that his elder brother is still at Kenyatta University pursuing a bachelor’s degree, I plead with well wishers to come to our rescue,” said Atieno.
