Valentine Achieng’s future remain uncertain with form one selection exercise expected to kick off next week.
Achieng’ whom, despite the battles she went through, managed to score 392 marks has no one to pay school fees for her.
She lives with her jobless aunt, now a widow. The 13-year-old is left with no one to pay her school fees in the next phase of her academic life.
Achieng had to leave their home at Bukani Village in Port Victoria Sub-county, Busia, in 2012 to stay with other relatives after her parents separated and her mother consequently died.
“When my father lost his sanity in 2012, mother decided to leave him, but it did not take too long before she died. After she was buried, my sister and I had no option but to stay with other relatives,” explained Achieng’.
“My aunt decided to take care of my younger sibling, Jenifer Blessing, who was not even a month old while I opted to stay with my grandmother,” she added. While she lived with her grandmother, she studied at a local primary school called St Cecilia Primary School.
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Life, however, became more unfair when she lost Roselida Ominde, her grandmother, in 2016. She opened up to Kahawa Tungu, amid tears, that her death came as a shocker to her because she was all she depended on at that time.
The woman had been on ARV drugs but decided to stop taking them, and one evening, while Achieng’ had gone to visit her cousins, she (Roselida) got partially burnt in her house.
She was helped by neighbours who found her writhing in pain in front of her jiko and rushed her to Port Victoria Sub-District Hospital.
“I was shocked when I came back to the ill news that grandma had herself partially burnt and had been admitted to hospital,” said Achieng’. Her condition worsened every day and she succumbed to the tragedy.
At 11 and in class six, Achieng’ was left with no option but to turn to her aunt who had her transferred from her former school to Moody Awori Primary School where she sat her KCPE exams.
With no one to depend on except for her temporary sales promotion contracts, Rebecca Aseyo – the aunt, admitted that raising the two orphans and her own three children has been quite an uphill task.
“My husband died in 2011 and I have all along depended on the casual duties I operate every day to raise up these children. Currently, I have a son in form one, and Blessing and two others in primary,” said Ms Aseyo, adding, “I’m reaching out to well-wishers to help me realize the dream of this kid.”
As for young Achieng’, being a judge is all she has always dreamt of and she prays hard that God makes her dream a reality. “I am afraid my father is out of his mind and cannot provide for me,” she said as an after-thought at the end of the interview.
The future of one Valentine Achieng’ who scored 392 marks in KCPE may hit winds due to lack of funds to facilitate her secondary education.
Achieng’ lost her mother in 2012 after she (mother) separated with her father who lost his sanity.
She had to stay with her grandmother from her father’s home who unfortunately got burnt in her house and died in 2016 when she was in class six.
She was later adopted by her aunt, and has now finished her primary education. Her aunt is widowed and performs casual duties to raise Achieng’, her siblings and three cousins, one of whom is in form one.
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