Mwangi Mukami has shared an inspirational story on how he achieved academic success in the United States of America (USA) years after he was written off by the Kenyan education system.
Mukami scored a D+ in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams and had no chance of joining any institution of higher learning in the country.
In a Facebook post that inspired many Kenyans, Mukami said an opportunity to leave the country for the US restored his dreams of attaining a college or university education. “Over 20 years ago, Kenya’s education system wrote me off as a failure because I had a D+. I remember vividly saying to my peers that I wanted to be a policymaker or an attorney. Their response was a burst of collective laughter and sneer,” he said.
But Mukami stayed focused on pursuing his dream and did not waste time when he arrived in the US. He immediately went back to school. Now aged 36, the young man recently graduated with his fifth degree from the University of California and hopes he will live long to open doors of opportunities for more D+ students.
“For the misfits, the rejected, and the oppressed,” he said. He attributed his success to his mother who single-handedly raised him and his six siblings while selling unspecified things at the Kawangware market. “Congratulations to my mom. The degree is a reflection of her tenacity. I am grateful and honoured to have wonderful brothers and sisters who support and trust my ability to achieve,” he added. He proudly uses his mother’s middle name, Mukami, as his surname because she was his hero. According to the gentleman, his mother sacrificed a lot to ensure they got a decent education and had food to eat even during very difficult situations.
Whatever they lacked in material wealth was compensated by what they possessed in spiritual, mental, and emotional health.
“I was raised in a 10 by 12 foot house by a woman who believed I could change the world. And I am still changing the world,” he said.
The 36-year-old further disclosed that for three years now, he has been providing scholarships and relief grants to children in Kawangware and most recently, in Kibera and Mathare.
Source: https://www.tuko.co.ke
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