Nehemiah Koech, who scored a grade A in the 2019 KCSE exams, has been forced to take up menial jobs, including being a security guard and digging septic tanks to raise fees and secure an opportunity to pursue higher education.

After the announcement of the 2019 KCSE results, Koech, the sole breadwinner of his family, was optimistic that he would fulfill his dream of becoming a Cardiologist.

However, his dreams went unfulfilled after a sponsorship program that had supported his secondary level of education declined support following the severe effects of the 2020 pandemic.

“After I got my results I was supposed to go to St. Pauls University to study Computer Science. But when I went to the bank to see if they would sponsor me, the bank said the funds for sponsorship beyond high school had dried up due to the pandemic,” says Nehemiah.

He was persistent, however, reaching out to every connection possible; this quickly turned into a series of promises and dead ends.

He stated that he first sought help from the educational institutions in Eldoret, including reaching out to the governor. Still, when he got no positive response, he decided to look for a job.

“I tried to talk to people who would connect me to the MCAs. Every person I would reach out to would commit to do something but not actually complete the journey.”

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Despite his hardships, Koech approached a landlord who offered him a job as a security guard to support his three younger sisters through their education while raising money for his University education.

“The landlord paid me Sh. 200 every day to watch over his apartments and at least I could use that to support my siblings.

Despite all this, his dream to one day become a cardiologist hasn’t died.

“I am still working hard hoping that my future will be different. I am doing what I can to help my family,” Koech stated.