Boda boda operator by day, university student by night
What you need to know:
- So relentless was his quest for an education, than an uncle accused him of not being his father’s child, pointing out that no one in that family had been to school, so why should he be the first?
- He did his KCPE examinations in 1994, scoring 452 marks out of 700. He was 19, the age when most of his privileged age mates were joining university. Though he had performed well, his parents could not afford to pay for his high school education, and they encouraged him to look for a job instead.
- When he got to Form Three however, his aunt could no longer pay his school fees, and he was forced to drop out. With the few books he had, he began to home school himself, and when he wasn’t studying, he was looking for menial jobs to fend for himself.
- With the help of friends and some of his former teachers, he began to prepare for the examinations in earnest, which were around the corner. Despite having covered just a fraction of the syllabus, Simiyu managed to score C+.
Julius Simiyu was once a watchman, today, he is what we call a boda boda operator – he ferries people to and fro their destinations to earn a living. In a few years’ time though, Simiyu hopes that he will be in a classroom somewhere, teaching.
Listening to his story, one gets the feeling that this 37-year-old father of three will go on to achieve his longtime dream. And with a steely determination such as his, why shouldn’t he?
Simiyu knew that he wanted to become a teacher on his first day of school. He was 11 years old, and even though he was bare feet and shivering with cold because he had no sweater, he was beyond himself with excitement at finally becoming a pupil. And then one of his teacher’s walked in, and he knew there and then that he wanted to become that man standing in front of the class.
“He was dressed so well, I was amazed, but even better, he spoke English, which was an enigma to me then.”
Simiyu grew up in a village in Bungoma, where aspiring for an education was frowned on. Even worse, his parents were then staunch adherents of a religious sect which believed that education, an import of the colonialists, was a threat to their culture and tradition. Simiyu was the fourth born in a family of nine children - two girls and seven boys, yet he was the only one who kept pestering his parents to take him to school.
So relentless was his quest for an education, than an uncle accused him of not being his father’s child, pointing out that no one in that family had been to school, so why should he be the first?
BITING POVERTY
He started pleading with his father to take him to school when he was only five, and tired of being pestered, or maybe impressed by his son’s great desire to get an education, his father finally relented six years later. Bright-eyed, Sirengo would wake up early every day and take the 4km walk from home to school on an empty stomach. His father was a cobbler, while his mother sold busaa, a local brew made from fermented millet or sorghum. This was what his mother would offer him as lunch when he arrived home from school.
“I would cut a 32-page exercise book in half to accommodate two subjects. I of course did not have shoes, and had one pair of uniform, torn shorts and a threadbare shirt, which I would wear throughout the year – a sweater was a luxury.”
Though the poverty was biting, it did not bother Simiyu much as long as he went to school. His constant motivation was one of his teachers, Jipo Biketi;
“He was no joke. The English I speak today was nurtured in his class,” Simiyu says.
His teacher was unrelenting in demanding the best from his students, and Simiyu learnt to exert himself, to push himself until he reached his target. It is a trait that is ingrained in him even today.
He did his KCPE examinations in 1994, scoring 452 marks out of 700. He was 19, the age when most of his privileged age mates were joining university. Though he had performed well, his parents could not afford to pay for his high school education, and they encouraged him to look for a job instead.
Luckily, an aunt who was a senior civil servant, offered to pay his tuition fees. She gave his parents Sh10,000, but instead of taking their son to school, they used it to cater for their many needs. Desperate, he reported his parents to the local chief, who followed up the matter, but by then, only a little of the money remained. When he told his aunt what had happened, she came to his rescue once again, and offered to pay his tuition fees, this time directly to the school.
When he got to Form Three however, his aunt could no longer pay his school fees, and he was forced to drop out. With the few books he had, he began to home school himself, and when he wasn’t studying, he was looking for menial jobs to fend for himself.
With no sign of good things to come at home, he decided to travel to Bungoma town in search of greener pastures. He got a job in a retail shop, where he also doubled up as a watchman. His employer knew about his needy background, as well as his thirst for education, and he advised him to start saving, so that he could return to school. In a few years’ time, his employer handed him Sh10,000, which he used to register for his KCSE examinations.
With the help of friends and some of his former teachers, he began to prepare for the examinations in earnest, which were around the corner. Despite having covered just a fraction of the syllabus, Simiyu managed to score C+.
“I knew I would have performed much better had I stayed in school, but I was proud of my performance, which took me closer to my dream.”
The next step was joining university. So far, he had been lucky to have people to assist and nudge him on, but this time round, he knew that he was truly on his own, so his dream would have to wait.
FURTHER EDUCATION
In 2002, Simiyu met his wife, Claire Nelima, and they got married. A year later, they had their first child. With two more mouths to feed, the added responsibilities began to weigh down on him. He pocketed his high school result slip and took the first bus to Nairobi in search of work, leaving his family behind. Once in Nairobi, a friend helped him to get a watchman’s job.
He earned a paltry Sh2,500 from his first job, (his rent was Sh500) which was just enough to feed his family back in Bungoma. Four months later, he joined another security firm where he worked for almost eight years, earning just Sh5,900 shillings, yet diligently saving Sh3,000 every month in a Sacco.
“Then, my expenses weren’t as high as they are now that I have two school-going children, so I could afford to save,” he explains.
Though he was getting by, he was constantly unsettled by his situation, and wondered what else he could do to lead a better life. The solution he kept arriving at was going back to school to further his education.
“To tell the truth, I did not like my job because besides paying poorly, it was unfulfilling, a struggle.”
He often told his colleagues that he would leave his job one day for something greater, but they would laugh at him and mock him.
He had told them that he planned to go to university, but they told him he was deluding himself if he thought he could get a university education with the kind of money he earned. He was not discouraged though, and would share his dream with anyone who cared to listen.
“I made an effort to interact with the clients I served, and some would share their stories and inspire me – if I found just one person to encourage me daily, I would go home a happy man.”
In 2008, he lost his job and returned to the village. He had saved about Sh40,000, with which he bought clothes in Nairobi, for sale in Bungoma. Initially, he was doing well, but with time, the business slowed down, and he decided to close shop and return to Nairobi.
Since he didn’t have any other work experience, he joined another security firm in 2010, now earning Sh16,000. He worked here for four years, managing to save Sh60,000 by 2014, and also pay for his wife’s college education.
Convinced he would make more money if he ran his own business, he took a loan of Sh40,000 from his sacco, bought a motorcycle and once he got a license, resigned from his job and began to operate as a motorcycle taxi operator. He slowly paid back the loan and immediately he completed it, he applied to Kenyatta University for a degree in education. He was accepted, and in September 2015, he commenced his studies. He had finally achieved his dream of joining university.
He makes a decent living off his business, and combined with what his wife earns as a cleaner with a professional cleaning company, he is able to pay his tuition fees and also educate his children.
“When my application was accepted, I cried – I was too overwhelmed with emotion; sometimes I still pinch myself to see if it is true, that I am actually at university,” he says, adding that he is aiming for a first-class honours.
“It is a struggle, but I intend to complete this degree, and when I do, I plan to do my master’s as well,” he says with a determined voice.
When he told his elder sister that he joined university, she was overjoyed. She is a teacher, and assists their parents back home. Simiyu is in awe of the amount of emotional and financial support his sister extends to their parents, as she also raises her own family and educates herself further.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
“I look at my sister and vow that I will give all my children the best education I can,” he says.
Every evening after work, Simiyu helps his eldest daughter, who is 12, and son 11, with their homework, while their two-year-old sister plays nearby. Helping his children with their homework, he says, is a great way to try out his teaching skills, besides bonding with them.
After they go to bed, he takes out his university assigned tablet and studies for two hours and then goes to bed. On weekends, he makes time to go to the university library to study some more.
Simiyu credits his resilience and hard work to his faith in God. He also believes that people should not be limited to their circumstances and situations, that he is a living testament of this.
“People say the sky is the limit. I have never believed it is the limit, I believe you can go higher than the sky.”
Julius Simiyu’s Life Philosophies:
1. Don’t hold any bitterness, rather, be hopeful and passionate about what you want and go for it.
2. Take advantage of the chances offered to you and don’t shy away from your dreams, however humble your current situation is.
3. Interact with others and draw inspiration from them.
4. However slowly it takes you to reach to wherever you want to go, as long as you don’t give up, you will get there.
5. Save a portion of what you earn, even if it is just Sh1,000 or less.
6. Don’t sit back and blame the government, your background or others for your problems, instead, go out and work.