Girl who walked 40km to raise fees joins Butere High School

Grace Akinyi, the girl who trekked for 40 kilometres from Nambale in Busia County in a bid to raise fees to join Butere Girls High School. She is thanking the media for highlighting her plight and well-wishers who came to her aid. PHOTO | SHABAN MAKOKHA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The joyful student scored 392 marks in the 2017 KCPE exam.

  • Principal Janet Omondi listened to the girl's sympathetic story and admitted her with no condition.

  • Deputy Chief Justice paid the full Form One fees for the girl after she (Akinyi) identified her (Mwilu) as her role model.

Grace Akinyi, the girl who trekked for 40 kilometres from Nambale in Busia County in a bid to raise fees to join Butere Girls High School is thanking the media for highlighting her plight.

The joyful student scored 392 marks in the 2017 KCPE exam.

But her joy of passing the exam and being called to join a national school was turning into sadness after her peasant mother failed to raise money for her school fees.

She developed rare courage and equipped herself with her KCPE results slip plus the admission letter and marched to Butere Girls to request for admission.

Akinyi, unlike other students joining Form One, did not have a box, uniform, mattress or shoes.

PRINCIPAL SYMPATHETIC

The school’s principal, Janet Omondi, listened to the girl's sympathetic story and admitted her with no condition.

The school offered the needy girl with basic shopping to start with.

Today, the young Akinyi has received overwhelming support from well-wishers.

"I wish to extend my gratitude to the Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu who paid Form One fees for the girl," said Ms Omondi.

DCJ MWILU ROLE MODEL

She said the Deputy Chief Justice called and paid the full Form One fees for the girl after she (Akinyi) identified her (Mwilu) as her role model.

Other sponsors who have assisted the young Akinyi include Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi.

Mr Wanyonyi paid a total of Ksh53,554 as fees for the girl's second year in secondary school.

He also added Sh10,560 for the girl's uniform.

Haikrushne Patel, the proprietor of Ronak Supermarket in Bungoma Town has paid Sh53,554 which will cater for the girl’s Form Three school fees.

A former parent from Eldoret, Bertha Rotich, did full shopping for the girl and sent it through Easy Coach bus service.

Another parent, Johannes Ogajo, sent Sh5,000 shopping for the girl while another one, Carol Muthoka, sent Sh3,200 for her shoes and promised to become the girl's mentor.

Bata Shoe company donated another pair of shoes, socks, school bag and shoe polish and a brush to Akinyi.

OVERWHELMED

"The list is overwhelming; I am grateful [for] the spirit Kenyans have shown towards the girl," said Ms Omondi.

She said she was working on modalities to assist the student's parent and her other siblings back at home.

Akinyi said she is very grateful to all those who turned out to sponsor her education and promised to re-write the history of Butere.

She thanked the media for highlighting her plight.

"It is through the power of the pen that I am able to stay in school with a lot of comfort. I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me in one way or another," she said.

"The school principal is now my mother. She gives me all the necessities l require plus lots of advice," said Akinyi.