A 15-year-old girl’s dream to attain secondary school education is on the brink after she failed to join Form One in January 2024.
Perpetual Mongare who lives with her single mother Violyne Nyaburi at Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum in Embakasi South, Nairobi, is yet to join secondary school, five months after students enrolled in Form One.
Mongare who sat her KCPE examinations at Gramo Joy Pre and Primary School in Nairobi in 2023 scored 321 marks.
She received an admission letter from Gatura Girls Secondary School but failed to report to Form One due to lack of school fees.
The girl’s family was also affected by the ravaging floods that have rendered hundreds of Kenyans across the country.
She said the ramshackle single–room iron sheet structure she lives in together with her mother and brother was recently flooded with flash flood waters rendering them homeless.
Mongare said the house is among those marked for demolition.
“I just want to be helped to learn so that I can help my mother,” Mongare told the Star at the slum on Monday.
The girl roams the slum holding her KCPE examination results looking for assistance to join form one.
According to the girl’s calling letter from Gatura Girls Secondary School scene by the Star, she was supposed to report to the institution on January 15.
“Dear Perpetual Mongare, I’m pleased to inform you that you have been selected to join Form One in our school, congratulations. You are expected to report to your secondary school on January 15,” the calling letter read in part.
“I live at Mukuru Kwa Njenga with my mother and brother. I studied at Gramo Joy Pre and Primary School in Embakasi subcounty, Nairobi, sat my KCPE in 2023 and scored 321 marks. I’m still at home due to lack of school fees,” Mongare narrated.
The school’s fees according to a structure seen by the Star is Sh20,268 for the first term, Sh12,160 (second term) and Sh8, 107 third term totaling Sh40,533.
The government should pay a Sh22244 capitation towards the girl’s school fees. The girl also needs some personal items including uniforms, stationery, and bedding among others to join Form One.
She said her mother does menial jobs like washing clothes and working as a house help within the city to fend for them.
“My mother’s earnings from the job aren’t enough. We beg for food, and clothing while our house rent is paid to us by a neighbour,” Mong’are said.
She said their house costs Sh3,000 per month though there was uncertainty due to its looming demolitions. They are already putting up with friends within the slum.
The girl said her attempts to get well-wishers support to join high school have been futile.
She, however, indicated that she was focused on attaining secondary school education as she envisions completing her education and supporting the less fortunate in society, just like herself now.
Her mother's phone number is 0746656302.