Sharon Chepkemoi, a nursing student at Tenwek School of Nursing, graduated on Thursday, November 5, 2026, after a last-minute online fundraiser saved her from being locked out of her final examinations over an unpaid fee balance of Ksh 309,000.
The story came to light through a Facebook post by Koech Manasseh, who described the moment Sharon arrived at his door in tears, confronting the very real possibility that years of nursing school would amount to nothing because of an outstanding fee balance.
Manasseh turned to his online following and organised a digital harambee, the kind of grassroots fundraising that has long been part of Kenyan social life, now carried out across social media platforms.
Where is Tenwek School of Nursing based?
The effort stretched deep into the night, with contributors answering the call until 4 am before the target was reached.
The funds cleared Sharon’s outstanding balance, allowing her to sit her final examinations and complete her qualification at Tenwek School of Nursing, a faith-based institution in Bomet County.
Sharing the graduation news, Manasseh wrote that his “heart is overflowing with joy and gratitude,” adding that the same tears Sharon once cried out of despair had, on graduation day, become tears of triumph.
Communal generosity carries real weight in Kenyan society
“Today, those tears of despair have turned into tears of triumph. Our girl is officially a nurse,” he wrote, directing his gratitude towards the strangers who contributed without hesitation.
For Sharon, the graduation marks the end of a journey that nearly came undone at the final hurdle.
For the hundreds of people who gave, often in small amounts that collectively reached Ksh 309,000, it is a reminder that communal generosity still carries real weight in Kenyan society.
