Christine Ekusi, a physically challenged Grade Seven pupil, has received life-changing help from well-wishers after her story was highlighted by Citizen TV.
In a story that aired on Sunday, February 19, Ekusi's plight caught the attention of Kenyans after she revealed how she uses crutches to walk 30 kilometres daily to Queen of peace Girls Primary School in Lodwar, Turkana County.
According to Ekusi, her parents could not afford to pay school fees, forcing her her to become a day scholar and trek to school on a daily basis.
She detailed how she dropped out of school and stay at home owing to the traumatic situation.
"Using crutches to walk 30 kilometers is painful and hurts my hands. I am calling on anyone to help me get back to school so that I can achieve my dream of becoming a doctor," she told Citizen TV.
Well-wishers, however, came to Ekusi's aid as she received funding for her Junior Secondary School (JSS) education.
Ekusi initially regretted performing well in the Grade Six examination, which earned her admission to the school with boarding facilities.
The Grade Seven pupil's mother revealed the dire situation in the family as they barely afforded money to meet basic needs.
"We barely have food and she has other siblings. There is no one to assist her to get to school, so we made the decision to have her stay back home," she stated.
The news came as Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu admitted that close to 200,000 learners were yet to report to Junior Secondary Schools.
He added that a multi-agency team had been deployed to conduct a mop-up operation across all the counties.
