Life's Struggles And Purpose; Shekinah's Inspiring Aiducation story
Shekinah is one of our alumni who did their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations in 2022. Through the Aiducation scholarship program in Kenya, she was able to complete her High School education at The Kenya High School. Against all odds, she worked hard on her studies and performed excellently in the national (KCSE) exams. She emerged in the top ten,(Position 8) nationally having achieved a mean grade of A. Everyone at Aiducation congratulates her and the class of 2022 for their excellent performance in the just-released KCSE results.
Read Shekinah's inspirational story below...
Sample pictures of Shekinah.
"Born into underprivileged circumstances, it was easy to think that life was headed absolutely nowhere. With relatives being of little help and neighbours constantly staring and whispering disapprovingly about the family that has only one change of clothes, life became a series of disappointments, evictions and even more unmentionable downs. Sleeping on a sheet in the middle of a room that is less than ten square meters may seem like a fun adventure to today’s generation but, when that is your reality, with no way out, it is suffocating—choking the life out of you.
True to the cycle of life, things got better. My father’s business began to look up and for a while, everything was smooth sailing. We moved from our depressing hovel into a relatively bigger house and forgot all about the trying times, a bit too willingly might I add. The spirit of entitlement slowly crept in and with it came the tendency to think certain privileges were insignificant. Gradually, allergies to certain types of food began to show up, not because of any medical reason but because of, in layman’s terms, “maringo”- show off. Eggs became distasteful, tea became nauseating and even water was only acceptable if branded by certain companies. Life was good to a significant extent. Then, COVID struck.
Covid meant a decline and ultimate loss of business. Covid meant moving out of our house. Covid meant losing every single privilege that previously seemed like a right. Covid meant sickness with no money for medication. Covid meant death, financial, emotional and physical to some. Even though the Kenyan government tried to ensure that a sense of normalcy was retained, that did not stop the pandemic from taking a toll on not only the country’s economy but also the people’s general outlook on life. While many were elated that schools were closed, knowing that they would be in relatively comfortable circumstances, a few of us were drowning in worry for our futures, knowing that school was the only passageway out of the need and lack that enveloped us. We needed the stability that came with being in a government institution. I found odd ways of making money to support my family and after a while, I became the sole breadwinner through the peer tutoring I was doing. Having to balance the pressure of earning and attempting to study was almost unbearable but, it had to be done. As such, when the president announced the reopening of schools, I was filled with more joy than I had initially anticipated. However, with it, came the incapacitating anxiety over the source of school fees.
Photo: Shekinah with her schoolmates at The Kenya High School.
After reporting back to school, I could not get the outstanding figure of my due school fees out of my mind. Every waking moment was consumed by my fear that I would be sent home due to my fee arrears. What made it worse was the fact that I was not just a candidate but, the saving grace of my family. For a while, this affected my studies and I was on a downward spiral, not just academically but also physically and mentally. I seemed to be a passenger on the downwards-bound train of failure. However, I was over the moon when I received the information that my parents had gotten a sponsor for my form four studies through Aiducation. Not knowing who or what the organization was did nothing to dull my gratitude. When the forms arrived at school for me to fill, I did so with a deep sense of urgency, afraid the opportunity might slip away. Finally, when the fee was paid, my mind was at ease. Nothing could put me down. When I came to the realization that I not only had an obligation to my parents but also to my sponsor and the faculty at Aiducation, I worked double as hard and woke up hours earlier to read, not due to pressure exerted by anyone but due to a deeply rooted feeling of gratitude.
Photos: Shekinah together with her mother joined our staff at Aiducation office in Kenya to celebrate her achievements.
I am glad that due to the support I received from Aiducation, I could concentrate on my studies and give my all during the KCSE period, securing a mean grade of A and being the eighth nationally. I hope to pursue either molecular genetics and microbiology at the University of Toronto or nuclear engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Furthermore, I intend on one day becoming one of the sponsors partnering with Aiducation to put students through school.
I thank my sponsor and hope I made him/her proud. I will certainly never forget their act of kindness and will continue to attribute my success to them. I cannot stress this enough, thank you Aiducation."
Written by Shekinah Wise - AiduTalent, Kenya