Education is hailed as the key that opens many doors and if the late Kimani Maruge’s story is anything to go by, then, this could be true.
Mary Marigwa from Biego Village in Nyamira North Sub-County had a quest to attain the highest level of education she could and it would have been ordinary if she were a young girl still dreamy about a lofty future.
Born in 1962, Marigwa was orphaned immediately after birth at Nyabondo Mission Hospital. This made her access to higher education hard after her standard seven examinations. Her basic education at Nyabondo Girls Mission Boarding School was catered for by the hospital. She attained 26/36 marks when she sat for her Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) which is today’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 1975.
Her performance then could have enabled her join a provincial or even a national school but lack of money meant that she could not continue with her education.
In the year 2007, Marigwa’s dream to have an education was rekindled and she enrolled for the Kenya KCPE in a class of 34 candidates at Nyamira Primary School. When the results were announced, she got 190 out of 500 marks. She was ranked position 17.
Marigwa says her going back to school was to be a role model to young people and to show that education has no age limit.
“I knew I was a bright child because I passed very well during my CPE. I could not further my education and my dream of becoming a teacher was put out,” she says.
Marigwa says she opted for adult literacy programmes in Nyamira where she says she has learned a lot on development through agriculture and other income generating programme skills gained from the facility in Nyamusi Ward.
She can now speak fluent and sensible English and compose her own poems.
“I could not again; after the second exam attempt, proceed to secondary level because this time I was a mother and my children are still in school. It could have been a heavy burden for me to carry,” she says.
During this year’s annual adult literacy day held at Orwaki Adult and literacy community learning resource centre in Nyamusi Ward, Marigwa was among the many adults who were awarded certificates of completion of various programmes by County Commissioner Josephine Onunga.
The mother of seven is requesting the government to consider the plight of those like her and offer them opportunities where they can make a living.