A primary school headteacher from Nanyuki who went beyond the classroom to rescue a bright but struggling student has been rewarded with a government promotion, just as the young man she championed prepares to collect his university degree.
Anna Scholar Sommy served as headteacher at Likii Primary School, where she says roughly 70% of learners come from the streets of Nanyuki town.
Rather than accept that reality as a limitation, she made it her personal mission to bring those children back into education and find ways to support those who managed to advance further.
How Joseph Njoroge Got to Lenana School
One of those students was Joseph Njoroge, who sat his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education at Lenana School and walked away with a B+.
Despite that strong result, the dream of joining Maseno University slipped out of reach due to financial constraints.
With no clear path forward, Joseph turned back to the woman who had helped carry him through secondary school.
Sommy had been quietly organising her fellow teachers to pool money together, covering Joseph’s bus fare and daily upkeep for the entire duration of his time at Lenana School.
When university placement fell through, she did not turn him away. Instead, she picked up the phone and called well-wisher Ndungu Nyoro in late 2021, explaining the situation and asking for support.
That call eventually helped Joseph find his footing. Five years on, he is days away from his graduation ceremony, and he personally wrote to both Ndungu and his former headteacher to express his gratitude and extend an invitation to attend.
TSC Promotion Follows Years of Quiet Service
The thank-you message from Joseph clearly moved Sommy deeply.
“Joseph also wrote to me a thank-you message which made me jump into joy and praised God,” she shared after Ndungu posted about the upcoming graduation online.
In the same message, Sommy confirmed that the years of selfless work had not gone unnoticed. She has since been elevated from her role as headteacher and now works with the Teachers Service Commission in Laikipia East.
“Out of it, God blessed me and rewarded me with a promotion,” she wrote. “See what God can do!!!”
Ndungu Nyoro, who shared the story publicly, called on followers to celebrate the teacher for her kind heart and dedication to the children.
Sommy’s story has resonated as a reminder that teachers who invest in their students beyond school hours often plant seeds whose fruits they may only see years later.
