I am Abala Dennis Kyalo, a 20-year-old Kenyan who was born in Kitui County until I was about 6 years. We later relocated to Machakos and then to Mathare in Nairobi where we lived with my mother and grandmother. I am the second born in a family of three. A while ago, my mother lost her job hence school became a luxury. We would depend on my grandmother who runs a kiosk business, for survival. She has used her meagre revenue to take care of our family.
My life in school
I pursued my primary school education in four schools, all in Mathare. Destiny Junior Education Centre was the fourth primary school that I attended, sat for my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education(KCPE) in 2017 and scored 334 marks. I later joined St Francis Secondary School where I scored B- in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education(KCSE). I am currently undertaking a Medical Social Work program at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology(JKUAT) in the School of Medicine.
When I cleared KCPE, I was fortunate to be a recipient of the EducAfrica scholarship. I was among the outstanding candidates who had passed the set threshold of 280 marks. The scholarship played a major role in keeping me in school. I never had to worry about tuition fees and was motivated to give my best shot in school work. I also wished to pursue a nursing course.
How I am giving back
School keeps me busy. But when I’m not there, I am learning photography(my hobby) I am an avid researcher on the current issues in my area of specialization. I am also part of a team of volunteers with Futbol Mas Kenya where I am an assistant coach and mentor. We engage young learners from Destiny Junior(my former school) in sports activities and life skills training sessions.
With EducAfrica Foundation, I have volunteered at Golden Bells primary school during a psychosocial support session for learners. During COVID-19, I helped my Destiny school to facilitate a food donation drive in Mathare. I have also joined student leaders at my former primary school to clean the school compound with an aim of fostering a clean learning environment.
Thank you for your generosity
If I met the donor who enabled my stay in school by catering for my tuition fees, I would appreciate it so much. Their generosity has turned my dream and those of others in Mathare slums into reality. Through EducAfrica, I have met and interacted with new people from whom I have learnt a lot about life.
My Dream for my community
In my community, there are children who still miss school because of socioeconomic barriers. I wish to support all children in Mathare to acquire quality education because as Nelson Mandela is quoted saying “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and their lives. I would also like to bring effective healthcare to people in Mathare.
If you would like to donate to EducAfrica, please do. Your kindness makes hope possible for children in Africa.
This article was written by Jeff Obonyo
