Ever prayed and long for something so much and looked forward to it for so long but it never happened. Then just when you gave up on it happening, the heavens smile down on you and give you exactly what you desire and a little more to garnish the victory.
This was exactly the story of Miss Milly Nafula, a grade A-minus student in Kenya. Milly had given up on ever making it to the University after attempts to get the attention of the admissions board in Kenya, had yielded nothing.
The 32-year old woman who had missed out on university placement some 14 years ago did not only get a scholarship of Ksh 3.5million (roughly about $30,740) to study Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor in Medicine at the Mount Kenya University (a private, multi-campus, ISO certified University) in Kenya but also received a house and a piece of land as part of the scholarship deal.
Milly Nafula, also a mother of 2, first gained public attention when her story was aired on Citizen TV (a free-to-air television channel) in Kenya on December 7th, 2021. Her story revealed how she had not been placed with any university in Kenya despite making excellent results.
Narrating the ordeal that led to her now 14-year school gap, Nafula said: ” I went to the principal of my high school to raise the issue and I was told that the school had not received any letter from the joint admissions board. I was advised to go to Nairobi to ask about the matter but because I could not raise the fare, I wrote a letter to the board through the District Officer in Kitale in 2009. He sent the letter but there was no response.”
According to Prof Simon Gicharu, founder of Mount Kenya University, he was touched when he heard Milly Nafula’s story and was determined to make a difference. ‘I was touched when I saw her story on TV. I asked myself, how can we as Kenyans allow her to stay at home for so many years just because she was not admitted to a university. I would like to inform this congregation that we will give a scholarship to her. This will enable her to actualise her dream,’ he said.
While presenting the scholarship officially from Mount Kenya University on Friday, February 25, 2022, Professor Simon Gicharu indicated that the land and house were incentives to her education fund.
As if this package from the university is not life-changing enough, former Chairman of the Commission for University Education (CUE), Professor Henry Thairu, offered to give Nafula and her siblings Ksh10,000 ($87) yearly to support them in buying household necessities.
“I am going to work very hard to make my sponsors very proud. I have a huge expectation ahead of me but I am determined to achieve my goals,” a grateful Nafula stated.
