Second Lady Dorcas Rigathi Gachagua on Sunday, June 23, teamed up with her former schoolmates at Alliance Girls High Schools to surprise their teacher after more than four decades.
The Alliance School alumni of the 80s celebrated Dr Njeri Karanja for her contributions to the academic and management growth of the institution.
Pastor Dorcas, who was accompanied by former Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina and other former students, reminisced their time under the guidance of Karanja.
During the event, Dr Mary Dena, a surgeon practising in South Africa was also honoured for composing the school’s national anthem in the 80s.
The Second Lady further offered a life-changing opportunity to two students from Alliance Girls High School who could not afford school fees.
She explained that it was her way of giving back to the institution after she enrolled at the institution courtesy of the benevolence of District Commissioner Thuo Mathenge.
“When I came here the first day, I was brought by a DC because we did not have fees. My mother had prayed the whole day for a miracle,” Pastor Dorcas recalled.
The Second Lady noted that when she joined the institution in the 80s, she did not have a uniform or anything but the DC made a difference in her life.
As a way of paying back to the community, Pastor Dorcas noted that she would sponsor the two poor students to the university level.
“I want to pay for their school fees from form one. Whether they want to go up to PhD, it is up to them as I will pay for everything,” she promised amidst cheers from over 2,000 students in the institution.
Motivating the students, Pastor Dorcas noted that against all odds, she rose from Kiandutu slums in Thika to join the prestigious school.
Her life changed for the better when she joined Alliance as she became part of a big family.
“This school treated everyone the same. When it came to games, we went together as sisters and friends, and whether you came with cakes or not, we would happily share," she reminisced.
Dorcas further noted that her poor upbringing was the reason she was on a mission to rescue the youth from drug abuse.
“Many people do not understand when I go to drug dens to rescue people, it is because I could have been there,” she explained.
