I'll get my KCSE certificate, join KMTC, and finally wear that nurse’s uniform: Of dreams deferred
Rita Akinyi during an interview at Pefa Church in Homa Bay Town on September 12, 2024. She is an adult learner at the church.
What you need to know:
- Rita Akinyi and Valentine Magunga embody the resilience of women in Homa Bay, returning to school after overcoming the challenges of early motherhood and other life hardships.
- Determined to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse, Rita returned to school as an adult learner.
- Despite facing numerous obstacles, she has persevered in her studies, balancing her academic pursuits with her responsibilities as a mother and entrepreneur.
At 3:30am while most people in her quiet neighbourhood of Sofia, Homa Bay Town are still lost in dreams, Rita Akinyi is wide awake. Her tiny rental house is dimly lit, and she is hunched over her study books, determined to rewrite the script of her life.
For Rita, the path to education has been full of detours. Nine years ago, she dropped out of high school, her dream of becoming a nurse seemingly dashed. But here she is, at 27, a single mother of three, preparing to sit for this year's Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
Her mornings are not spent complaining about missed opportunities or wondering what could have been. Instead, she wakes up before the sun, every day, laying the foundation for her future, a future she is determined will include wearing the crisp white uniform of a nurse.
“I spend two hours every morning before my children wake up, revising for the upcoming national exams,” Rita says. “I’ve been doing this for a year now, and while it’s tough, I know it’s the only way to make my dreams come true.”
Balancing motherhood and education
By 5am, Rita closes her books. Her youngest child, still asleep in the next room, needs her attention soon. As dawn breaks, she moves quietly, preparing meals for her children — food they will eat in the morning and at lunchtime while she’s out for the day. By 6am, her house begins to stir. Her two older children are already used to the routine and begin getting ready for school, while the youngest, a pre-primary learner, waits for her mother to walk her to class.
“I’m never home during the day, so I make sure my children have everything they need before I leave,” Rita explains.
By 6:30am, she is out the door, her youngest child in hand, walking briskly to drop her off at school. Her day is only beginning. As soon as her daughter is safely in class, Rita heads out to follow the sweet potato suppliers who fuel her small business. In her second role as a trader, she sources sweet potatoes from markets across Homa Bay and Migori counties, travelling to wherever the suppliers go.
“The furthest I’ve gone is Rongo and Karachuonyo. I also source from Rangwe,” she says. “It’s a hustle, but I have to do it to support my family.”
By 8.30am, her second life begins. She rushes to Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (Pefa) Church, where adult learners like her are taught the secondary school syllabus. Thirty-six adult students, most of whom are women, are registered at this centre, all preparing for the same KCSE exams later this year.
The day’s lessons stretch until 4pm, with a short break at lunchtime. But there’s no break for Rita. After classes, she heads back to Sofia Market, where her sweet potato business awaits.
It’s nearly 9pm when she finally returns home. Her children, already asleep, wait for another day to begin, and she does it all over again.
A past scarred, but a future in her sights
Rita’s determination stems from a life shaped by hardship and setbacks. As a teenager, she was diagnosed with a debilitating illness that would cause her to collapse, sometimes rendering her immobile for up to eight hours.
“I had to leave school because my parents feared something worse could happen to me. They didn’t know how to handle my condition, and I couldn’t be left alone,” Rita recalls, her voice tinged with the pain of lost years.
For a while, her life was filled with uncertainty. Unable to continue her education, her dream of becoming a nurse seemed far out of reach. Her parents, facing financial difficulties, could no longer support her studies. Desperate to find help, they sent her to live with a clergy member, believing prayers could heal her.
But instead of prayers, the cleric had other intentions.
“As a focused girl, I sneaked out of his house and ran away to a relative’s home,” she remembers.
But her troubles didn’t end there. With no support for her education and few options, Rita eventually got married, hoping her husband, a teacher, would support her dreams. Ironically, he was against her returning to school, insisting she focuses on household duties and the market.
“We fought a lot because I defied him,” she says. Within a few years, the marriage ended. Yet her desire to pursue nursing never left her. Nine years after leaving school, she returned to the classroom, this time as an adult learner.
“I never lost my dream over the years I was out of school,” she says, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and defiance.
The power of a second chance
Rita’s story resonates with others who are also chasing their long-forgotten dreams. At Pefa Church, 27-year-old Valentine Magunga sits among the adult learners, her face equally focused as she prepares for the upcoming KCSE exams. Like Rita, Valentine dropped out of school when life took an unexpected turn.
In 2014, while in Form Three, she became pregnant. Faced with the responsibilities of motherhood, she left school and got married. Now a mother of three, her dream of becoming a nurse is very much alive, and her family fully supports her decision to return to school.
Valentine Magunga during an interview at Pefa Church in Homa Bay Town on September 12, 2024. She is an adult learner at the institution.
“My husband takes me to school every morning on his boda boda (motorcycle). He’s my biggest supporter,” she says, her face breaking into a smile.
Valentine’s day begins at 4.30am. She spends the early hours of the morning studying, just as Rita does. By 6am she is already preparing her children for school before heading to her classes. In addition to her studies, she works as a community health promoter, contracted by the county government of Homa Bay. But her true dream is to be a trained nurse or social worker, professions she believes will allow her to give back to her community in a meaningful way.
“You can only become a professional if you go to school,” she says with conviction. “I believe I will make it and be what I have always dreamed.”
The battle for education
Men, too, are part of this journey. Jared Geda is another adult learner who left school in Form One in 2013. The 30-year-old knows too well how the lack of education can limit opportunities. Jared has struggled to find stable employment, with most employers demanding a KCSE certificate he doesn’t possess.
“I believe my life will change once I get the certificate,” he says. “With it, I will finally be able to look for job opportunities and support my family.”
For all the adult learners at Pefa Church, education represents more than just a piece of paper; it’s a second chance at life. They balance jobs, families, and their studies, competing against teenagers who haven’t had to put their dreams on hold.
According to Homa Bay Sub-County Adult Education Director, Jecinter Anyona, there are five adult learning centres in her jurisdiction — Rodi, Arujo, Nyakinyi, Pefa, and Homa Bay GK Prison. In total, 86 adults are attending classes, with 30 registered to sit for the KCSE exams. But the system has its challenges.
“There are very few instructors available to support adult learners,” Jecinter explains. “And the ones we do have teach all subjects, unlike regular schools where different teachers cover different areas. It’s a struggle.”
Jecinter notes that the shortage of teachers has persisted because the government hasn’t hired new instructors for years. Despite the resource constraints, the centres remain committed to helping adult learners achieve their goals.
Scholarstica Akello, an adult education tutor at Pefa, knows the challenges of teaching adults well.
“Most of my learners have families depending on them,” she says. “Some struggle to balance attending lessons with their other responsibilities. We often have to repeat topics because learners miss classes.”
Out of the 36 learners at Pefa registered for KCSE exams, only 30 attend classes regularly. Some learners are reported to have difficulty grasping content, as they juggle personal commitments and financial strains.
“We sometimes have to slow down syllabus coverage because some learners fail to attend lessons regularly,” Scholarstica adds. “But we’re committed to ensuring they achieve their goals.”
During exams, the adult learners at Pefa sit alongside younger students at St. Ambrose Got Rabuor Secondary School, registered as private candidates. And for many, like Rita and Valentine, the exams are just one more step toward realising the futures they’ve dreamed of for so long.
As Rita reflects on her journey, she is confident that her hard work will pay off.
“This time, I won’t let go of my dreams,” she says firmly. “I’m going to get my KCSE certificate, join KMTC, and finally wear that nurse’s uniform.”
