A Grade 10 student from Nandi County who was forced to abandon her studies over unpaid school fees has received a lifeline, with the county governor personally intervening to clear her debt and send her back to class.
Mitchelle Cheruto, from Kiptuimetet Village in Mugundoi Sub-location, had been sitting at home after Kapkole Girls Secondary School in Nandi South Sub-County could not accommodate her further due to KSh 40,000 in outstanding fee arrears.
The teenager, who dreams of becoming a surgeon, found herself caught between a difficult home situation and a future she was determined to reach.
A Family Stretched Beyond Its Limits
Cheruto’s mother, a single parent who earns her income plucking tea in Kambi, has been unable to keep up with the school bills after falling ill.
The family’s financial strain left the young student contemplating taking up domestic work to raise enough money to return to class and support her ailing mother, a sobering prospect for a girl with clearly defined academic ambitions.
Cheruto’s story came to public attention after Gwiji Dijital News highlighted her circumstances and appealed for well-wishers to come to her aid.
The appeal reached Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, who moved swiftly to resolve the situation. Through his Personal Assistant, Donald Giroeng, the governor confirmed he would settle the full amount owed and also cater for the student’s shopping requirements ahead of her return to school.
“Let’s take the student back to school. I have sorted her fee arrears in totality alongside her shopping,” Governor Sang, through his P.A. Donald Giroeng, told Gwiji Dijital News.
Following the governor’s intervention, the family, working alongside Gwiji Dijital News, began making arrangements for Cheruto to return to school the following morning. For a girl who had spent her days at home wondering whether her education was finished, the news arrived as a turning point.
The gesture has renewed Cheruto’s hope of completing her schooling and eventually pursuing a career in medicine.
