The Story of Leah Wambui

THE STORY OF LEAH WAMBUI
Leah completed her high school in 2017. She was under the sponsorship of Empower the World for the four years in high school. Leah to the best of my knowledge is a very hard working girl. She is a focused girl and determined to be the change that she desires. If I told Leah’s story, it wouldn’t be as good as if she did it herself. Here below, I present to you Leah’s story of which she wrote it and gave me to type for her, she calls it “my true story”.
“My name is Leah Wambui Gachugi, I live in Mungu village. I was born in 1997 at Naivasha District Hospital in a family of seven children. I am the fifth born in our family.

When I was five years old, I was taken to Munyu nursery school where I studied for a period of two years. In 2004, I was taken to Munyu primary school where I spent eight years studying for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education. During this time, I could be sent home for school fees most of the time. May parents could not be able raise the small amount of fees that we were required to pay at school and this mean that I spent a lot of time at home before I would go back to school.
I did KCPE for the first attempt in 2011 and managed to score only 197 marks out of the possible 500. This actually shocked me, because I believed I was better than the 197 marks. This was way below average. Despite the low marks, one the local high schools (Munyu secondary school) sent me an admission letter to join form one in 2012. I did not manage to join form one in that school because, my parents were not able to raise school fees and other related expenses for me to join high school. ‘What next?’ was the question in that rang in my mind for several days. I later joined my parents working at other peoples’ land to earn us a living. My parents and I worked as casual laborers for several months until I decided to go back to primary school and repeat from class seven. My parents consented to my idea of going to repeat in class seven but again, I remember very vividly that, they only had Kes500 to cater for school fees. I was bought a school uniform by a neighbor of good will.
Finally, I was in school again, this time repeating class seven. The thought of repeating primary school cold not let me slumber. The school about 5km away from home and I would walk to and from school every day. I could read at home up to 10:30PM and would wake up as early as 3:00 in the morning to read and to prepare myself for school. At times, if I felt sleepy before I could finish what I was reading, I could place my feet in a cold water basin to avoid sleep.
I did the second attempt of KCPE and this time round, I managed 295 marks out of 500. After the KCPE results were release, I was given a scholarship form by Mr.Andrew Muigai to feel for a possibility of being sponsored. Mr. Muigai was my Swahili teacher and also a member of Empower the World Foundation. After a few weeks, I was told that my application was successful and I needed to go for an interview to join form one at St. Francis Xavier. I was overjoyed for this great opportunity awarded by Empower the World Foundation. This, meant everything for me. I couldn’t have gone to a secondary school were it not for Empower the World Foundation. I was given hope, but again, my parents didn’t have money to purchase the requirements for a boarding school. Nonetheless, through the help of neighbors and some relatives, I managed to get the requirements and was enrolled at St. Francis Xavier form one in 2014.
While in form one, third term, my father was involved in a tragic road accident that resulted in him losing his left arm. I was downtrodden by this reality. He was the one who used to get me money for the shopping of small personal items that I could use throughout the term at school. I didn’t give up. In school, there existed a group of students called ‘sister to sister’, this group was organized to help those who would not have enough of personal items. They could share what they did not need to me so that I could survive through the term.
While at St. Francis, I worked really for many reasons but most importantly not to let ETW down and to acquire to grade that will lead to an admission into university. The school fees payment was a thing of the past, so I couldn’t worry at all of being sent home that have not paid because ETW was committed to paying it on time. I finally score a mean grade of B- (minus) of 57 points. Even though the financial situation at home hasn’t changed, I believe that I shall join university.
I would l have not been able to narrate my story were it not for Empower the World. This foundation found me when I was in absolute need. I can’t thank them enough. It was my dream come true. Many people out there are in need of such opportunities; it isn’t that I was the best of all but because I was lucky. I look forward to a day when I too shall be able to give a similar opportunity to a needy kid out there!”
As indicated earlier on, the above is a story that Leah wrote and asked me to type it and send it to all those people who were involved in one way or another in raising money for her high school fees. She shall be joining university in September 2018. She looks forward to it. When I spoke to her, she told me that she looks forward to a good time in the university.