Nehemiah Koech, who scored a grade A- in the 2019 KCSE exams and was forced to take up multiple menial jobs to raise his fees, now has a second chance at pursuing nursing.
In the five years he struggled to raise money, Koech even worked as a security guard. However, his plight ended when philanthropist Irene Mureithi came to his rescue.
Mureithi assisted the beneficiary in securing admission at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega, with his classes starting in September.
“In September, Nehemiah officially reported to Masinde Muliro University. He is a Bachelor of Nursing student,” read a Facebook post made by philanthropist Ndung'u Nyoro, who works with Mureithi in one organisation.
According to Nyoro, Mureithi learned about Koeach's story when it was aired in media outlets in February 2023. He then made multiple efforts to contact Koech, who resided in Eldoret, eventually locating and bringing him into their offices in Nairobi.
She went further to assume the responsibility of supporting his university education for the next four years. The philanthropist added that Koech was elated by the opportunity and eager to start his career as a nurse.
Initially, Koech had dreamt of becoming a cardiologist. However, he joined St Paul's University after he received a letter directing him to pursue Computer Science at the institution. His dreams were cut short after donors pulled the plug, leaving him frustrated and hopeless.
He was first a beneficiary of a scholarship program that saw him finish his secondary education at Baringo High School.
To make ends meet, Koech turned to several menial jobs, one of them being employed as a watchman, earning Ksh200 pay per day. He also dug septic tanks to save money for his university education.
His situation was worsened by the fact that he was the sole breadwinner of his family, supporting his three young sisters while taking care of himself simultaneously.
Koech reached out to various institutions and attempted to seek help from different politicians.
However, all his efforts proved futile until his story aired on Citizen TV, gaining attention from various media stations. Despite all these challenges, he kept hoping that one day he would return to school to better his life.
“I tried reaching out to people who could at least take me to any MCA to present my case but everyone gave up on me along the way,” Koech recalled.
It was during this time that Irene Mureithi came to his rescue and changed it forever.
