Family hope finds resting place in a borrowed grave

Investing in education has never been a high risk venture but for one peasant family in Misanga village in Bungoma County a noble plan to educate their daughter has not only rendered them landless but left them unbearable agony.

With her empty stare focused on a mound of earth with fresh grass shooting to reach the morning sun, 58-year-old Jane Nafula asks us to give her a few minutes to uproot the grass on her last born daughter’s grave before we start our interview.

Nafula, the mother of 21-year-old Stella Namalwa — who was killed in last month Garissa University College massacre, says that her only regret is that she did not obey her instinct to relentlessly fight for her daughter’s transfer to the main campus in Eldoret.

“I tried to have my daughter transferred from Garissa first when she received the admission letter in 2013. It took the intervention of her high school principal to convince me and when the university was briefly shut due to a terror threats sometime last year, I approached a professor from Moi University who lives here (Misanga) to assist my daughter in transferring but it did not succeed,” said the mother of five.

Stella was a bright young woman and her mother regarded her as a family jewel. Indeed, she was a role model to many in Misanga.

HUGE SACRIFICE

Her family made a huge sacrifice to put her through school.

“We sold a fifth of an acre for her to complete her high school education in Mitua Girls and when she qualified for university we were overjoyed,” say Nafula.

However, that joy also meant that the poor family had no choice but to sell the remaining parcel of land to pay for Stella’s university education.

Sadly, for the family, Stella was killed when terrorists attacked the Garissa University College on the morning of April 2.

To add insult to injury, her family had nowhere to lay Stella to rest so her mother begged the man who had bought their land to give her a small portion on which to bury Stella.

The man agreed and even allowed the humble family to squat on the land until they get an alternative place to settle.

“Stella had assured us that it was the right thing to do (sell the family land) and that she would see to it that she buys us back the land and build for us once she was through with her studies,” her mother said, explaining why her family had taken the gamble.

LEAVE IT TO GOD

Ms Nafula — who sells vegetables at the nearby Misanga market — says her family is yet to come to terms with the tragedy especially after she heard the news that over 600 survivors of the massacre had joined Moi University’s main campus in Eldoret last week.

“Our hearts are still heavy,” she says. “We still ask ourselves what if she had managed to get a transfer or the university had not sent her to Garissa but leave it to God.”

Since NTV first highlighted the family’s plight during Stella’s burial, several well-wishers have come forward and pledged to help the family buy back the land or to find an alternative piece.

“We searched for a half acre piece of land and when we first got it it was valued at Sh400,000 an amount our well-wisher said was too high. We are still scouting for a cheaper place.”