Rachael Sampeke

Rachael Sampeke

RACHAEL SAMPEKE

I Rachael grew up in a humble backgrounds where my parents did casual works to cater for our needs. My father had been a watchman during the night and during the day he does other works like herding and fencing people’s homes. My mother sometimes had become a house help or sometimes fetch water and firewood for people.

Life was somehow simple for them to manage while we were still young since we schooled in a government day school. My father had few goats and sheep and even cows since he was a warrior therefore he raided for them. Whenever we had a need, my father would sell the goat or sheep, mostly when we open school in order to buy uniform and pay the small amount of money needed in the school, not more than one thousand each pupil.

In 2009 there was a severe drought which killed many animals. By then my father had eighteen cows. After the drought, he was left with only two cows. The cows gave birth and they added in number to around five. In 2012 our Masai manyatta house got burnt up. For my dad to recover from the loss we had experienced, he sold the calves that had grown up and even the cow. In 2013 my elder sister finished primary school. By then, my dad had only two cows. He sold one cow for her admission. While she was there, my dad sold a calf of the remaining cow whenever she opens school. When she came for midterm my dad would sell a sheep/ goat. When I joined high school, in 2014 my dad had around twenty goats and sheep and also one cow. For my admission, he sold the remaining cow. He was remaining with only one cow and goats to sell whenever anything is needed in school. My sister got bursaries; she even got two at once. During second term, my father decided to call for the whole community to help him to raise money for our school fees payment. His little monthly payment of less than ten thousands cannot support us at all. He did a fundraising and raised one hundred and forty thousands. Reverent Maina as my reverent was also in the fundraising and he heard of my parents’ state. He decided to look for the N.C.C.K sponsorship for me. My elder sister used the raised money for school fees with some bursaries.

Since then it has never been so hard for me to stay in school. Sometimes I am chased back home and immediately I call Madam Sarah she would respond and sent school fees to school immediately. Since N.C.C.K pays more than half of my school fees, I have never been sent home for remaining school fees in which the parents is responsible for them.

It has been so hard for me to get bursary since sister is getting and a parent cannot be given twice. My mother has been assisting since all of the goats and sheep have been sold. During the holiday, he had three places of work. He worked as watchman, fencing and also worked in limestone crashers which are paid weekly to support us basically.

For now we are a family of nine, that is, seven children and the two parents. My elder sister has finished high school, my sister who is after me will be joining high school next year and the other four are in primary school.

Thank you N.C.C.K, you’ve been of great help to me. Looking at my parents I had no hope to learn but because the Lord had brought you on my side, I have come this far in terms of academics. I am an engineer to be and thank you for totally supporting me to achieve my dreams. My plan for life is that I get at least a (B) grade in order to enter the University direct and with a scholarship. If I would not get the scholarship, I would work for two years and take myself through the university doing electrical engineering for three years.

Thank you so much!

Rachael Sampeke