A Form 2 girl in Gwa Kimori village, Gatundu North is all smiles after a well-wisher paid her entire school fees after her grandmother’s pleas went viral on social media.
The grandmother, Felistas Wanjiru, explained her tribulations in a video narrating that she has been undergoing a lot while taking care of grandchildren who were left under her care.
She said that she had sunk into depression especially after her granddaughter, Peris Wanjiru, was sent home for school fees and has resorted to taking cheap liquor to keep her stress at bay.
In the video clip, Wanjiru said that she has been facing hard times to even put food on the table for the kids, revealing that most times they sleep hungry and go to school on an empty stomach.
“I rarely get jobs within the village and my age is taking a toll on me. I have three grandchildren who are under my care and I struggle a lot to even feed them. That’s why I take illicit brew so that by the time I get home I find them asleep to avoid being asked about food,” she said.
She noted that after her granddaughter was sent home for school fees, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Kairi Girls secondary school, she developed stress and sank into depression. “She [the granddaughter spends most of the time in the house crying. This has stressed me to the core. I only turn to alcohol to relieve the pain and stress,” she said.
She noted that Wanjiru’s parents separated and her father, who hustles for jobs in Nairobi, brought her back to the village.
BrickMann Properties Limited CEO Vincent Njenga visited Felistas with good news that he had cleared the girl’s school fees for her remaining time in secondary school.
Njenga, who paid Ksh35,750 to cater for Wanjiru until she completes her studies.
He noted that he is also a beneficiary of a kind-hearted person who facilitated his secondary school education when his parents were cash-strapped and couldn’t raise his school fees.
“This is why we developed a culture of giving back to society and helping the needy and less fortunate in our community. I will walk the academic journey with Wanjiru and ensure that she posts good grades. She has a bright future because she is a top performer,” Njenga said.
Besides paying fees, Njenga donated food worth two months to the family and also provided personal effects.
Peris, 15, couldn’t hide her joy as she donned her school uniform again ready to go back to school which she had missed for several weeks.
Wanjiru said that she had lost hope of going back to school since her guardians could not raise school fees.
“I’ve been feeling unworthy especially when my classmates were in school studying and I was back at home,” she said.
She promised to concentrate on her studies and post good results exuding confidence that she will one day free her parents and siblings from the shackles of poverty.
By Kamau Njoroge
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