George Mwangi, a teacher living with disability in Witeithie ward in Thika, Kiambu County is a man on a mission.
He had a eureka moment while watching a cartoon show with his son, who inquired about the use of a device, that the young boy would later learn was a Telescope.
The father later fixated on the idea of purchasing one, with the aim of assisting his son view the night sky with its elements.
He visited various sites and landed on an offer with the gadget retailing at Ksh80,000, oblivious of the task that lay ahead.
Mwangi, who is the director of St. Georges Cornerstone Secondary School located in the Maraba area of Witeithie ; a private school that he founded in 2015, noticed a drop in school attendance.
Upon further enquiry he later realised that a majority of students came from low-income households that could not afford to sustain their stay in school due to financial constraints.
Inspired by his humble background he set out to help keep the students in his school.
Mwangi was born with club feet and had to undergo corrective surgery with the help of a donor at a young age, an initiative that opened his eyes to the kindness of well wishers, something that appealed to him. He set out to also touch the lives of others and influence positive change.
"I grew up in a home for the physically challenged, and i understand how it feels to lose hope, losing hope is similar to dying," Mwangi says
The man who had previously participated in various charity walks despite his need to use walking aid after a motorcycle accident in 2013, had the ingenious idea to use his unique device to help raise funds to at least help feed students, in an attempt to keep them in school.
Armed with his telescope, he travels to social joints and public spaces around Thika, where interested patrons and bystanders get to view night sky objects such as the moon, stars, planets and other foreign objects in space at any fee, which translates to a donation for his school.
The highest amount he has collected in a night is Ksh2000, which can buy foodstuffs to feed his students throughout the day.
"We provide a cup of uji in the morning and in the evening for all the students, and lunch when resources are enough, I'm sure it makes a difference to all, at a personal level" Mwangi told Kenyans.co.ke.
His plan for the future involves raising enough funds to not only feed more students but also acquire a piece of land to build a sustainable school that will benefit the people of Witeithie and encourage the children and youth around to learn.
Mwangi recounted how a student in his school, scored a B+ and joined Egerton University where he is currently pursuing a degree in Actuarial Science.
He hopes to open doors for many such bright and needy students who lack opportunities to remain in school and realize their dreams.
Mwangi appealed to the government to support struggling private schools with capitation and not focus on funding public schools.
