From classroom to tea fields: Gatundu girl, boy appeal for help to join Form 1

When Sarah Khanali Songoi scored 299 marks in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, she was overjoyed and expected to further her studies.

Khanali who comes from Mariaini village in Gatundu North, Kiambu, hoped to join a boarding school to continue with her secondary education with the ultimate goal of eradicating poverty in her destitute family.

Two weeks after her peers joined Form One and began studying, Khanali has been picking tea at smallholder farms in Mariaini village to help her mother feed her siblings and pay their rent.

Hopeless and dejected, the 16-year-old who aspires to become a doctor said life has been unbearably hard and had to chip in to help her mother meet their daily obligations.

“It pains me a lot because I’ve become a casual labourer picking tea at farms within our village whereas my peers are in class studying. My hope has been furthering my studies so that I can help free my mother and siblings from the dungeons of poverty,” Khanali said.

Desperate Khanali said they have been living in a derelict single-roomed rental house and are sometimes forced to sleep hungry especially when they fail to secure a job in the tea farms.

Distressed and troubled that she might end up becoming useless in life unless she continues with her education, Khanali appealed to well-wishers who would be touched by her family’s predicament to help her continue with her studies.

“I’m pleading with people of goodwill to come to my rescue and help me join secondary school and I promise not to let them down. I will study hard and make my dreams of becoming a doctor come true,” she said.

Mercy Njeri, her mother who only manages to pluck between 15-20 kilograms of tea a day taking home about Sh200 said the money is usually not enough to feed her four children, pay rent and support their education.

One of her children, a boy, who was set to join pre-primary education (PP1) also remains at home as she was unable to buy him a uniform and pay the required registration fees.

“Many are the days that we sleep on hungry stomachs especially when we fail to get a job. Paying our rent, Sh600, sometimes becomes a toll order,” Njeri said.

While describing Khanali as a bright girl and the saviour of her family, Njeri who is a single mother expressed fears that her daughter’s dreams might end up crumpling.

The situation is similar at the home of Anthony Mwangi in Kimiiri village as his son spends most of the time picking tea for his neighbours after failing to join Kahugu-ini High School.

Brian Waweru Mwangi who was studying at Chania Primary School managed to score 322 marks in the 2023 KCPE exams.

His financially constrained parents have been unable to buy him a uniform and raise the required school fees forcing him to continue plucking tea for survival.

Waweru who aspires to become a lawyer said that his thirst for education is extreme and has been troubled for the two weeks he has remained at home as his former fellow students continue studying.

His parents said they have tried all means possible to have the boy enrolled in school without success.

“We have tried getting help but no help has come forthwith. We are giving up but we are still hanging on hopes that a well-wisher will come to our aid,” the parents said.

The casual labourers narrated that life has become overly hard and are now clinging to hope that the situation might change.

They called on Kenyans to come through for them to rescue their future as they could be a solution to some of the challenges bedevilling the society.

To help the children can reach out to John Kamau (0723055198)