I did my KCPE when my mother was in mortuary, this were Marion Ondisa’s words when we caught up with her at Brigida Morello Girls secondary school on Saturday morning.
The 18-year-old girl celebrated her C plus grade results after sitting 2020 KCSE at the school saying it was out of struggle.
“I had a lot of challenges but I managed to overcome all of them. I am a complete orphan from a humble background. I sat in my KCPE when my mother was in mortuary, ” Ondisa said.
Ondisa said Brigida Morello Girls secondary school principal Sister Sweta Abraham rescued her when she employed her guardian in the school as a cleaner so that she could raise the school fees. She was desperate after scoring 276 marks in 2016 KCPE. She sat the exams at Muslim primary school in Nakuru County.
“It was hard for me but I managed to score 276 marks. Then I joined this school. It required a minimum of 300 marks but the principal accepted me after she was told about my situation by an aunt who works at the school, ” Ondisa said.
The girl’s aunt Caroline Iregwa’s half salary was deducted by the institution for the four years to pay school fees for the orphan. She is a cleaner. Teachers sponsored the girl, they settled half of the fee, the difference.
Iregwa said she adopted the girl immediately after the mother’s demise.
“I adopted her after she completed class eight. I had a challenge on where to take her, I secured a cleaner job in the school after talking to the principal who understood me and agreed to admit her after an interview. Sister Sweta supported me to support the girl through her entire secondary education,” she said.
Iregwa said they were happy with the results but worried since they had no money for university fees.
She called on well wishers to come to their rescue stating she had a burden since she takes care of nine children, four of her own and four Ondisa’s siblings including Ondisa herself.
“I am the mother and father. I raised her from form one to four single handedly and I am still doing so. My half salary was being slashed to pay her fee, sister paid the rest. ”
She said she had other children hence couldn’t pay the entire fee from her monthly earnings.
Sister Sweta said though the girl was not the best in 2020 KCSE from the school, they were proud of her.
“We appreciate Marion’s performance. The humble girl joined the school in 2017 from humble background. Our assistance as sisters together with teachers have nurtured her to score the grade,” the principal said.
Sweta said having been established in 2009, the 2020 candidates were the school’s nineth batch of KCSE.
She said they attained a C minus mean score with five points.
“We are happy that five of our girls out of 32 have qualified for the university. Besides academics, in this school we take care of spiritual and moral aspects of our girls as a team for the betterment of our students. ”
Sweta said they have a compassionate love of Jesus to needy students. More students have been sponsored by the school through their education like Marion.
She said the girl joined the school as a timid girl but left as a head girl.