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He walked to school with an empty box, came home victorious
Levis Otieno Rabah with his metallic box containing only two bars of soap when he reported to Kanga High School in Migori County in January 2020.
A bright boy from a poor family who made headlines in 2020 when he walked into Kanga High School, Migori County, with two bars of soap and an empty metal box, is among the top performers in the 2023 KCSE whose results were released on Monday.
Levis Otieno Rabah, 16, scored a B+, the result of an academic journey that began in desperation when his parents were unable to pay his school fees and buy other necessities that he needed in school.
Otieno excelled in Computer Science where he got an A, Geography (A-), Kiswahili and Biology (B+). He scored B in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and a B- in English.
His four-year education at Kanga High School was funded by well-wishers after his story went viral.
This was after NTV aired his predicament on January 14, 2020 after he arrived at the national school in Rongo Sub-county barefoot, accompanied by his mother Monica Atieno.
"There is no money to buy him shoes, bag, socks, uniform, shopping or pay his school fees. We have nothing," the mother told journalists at the time.
"My mother borrowed a small amount of money that was just enough to buy me this metal box and two bars of soap," Otieno said back then.
Otieno scored an impressive 391 marks in the 2019 KCPE exam he wrote at Pala Konywanga Primary School in Karachuonyo, Homa Bay County.
He made several attempts to secure a scholarship, but his efforts were in vain. With no help coming his way, the young Otieno feared that his dream of joining secondary school had been dashed.
But the then Kanga High School Principal, Michael Gweno, admitted Otieno without paying school fees and other requirements such as uniforms and books, hoping that the student would eventually receive help from well-wishers.
That is exactly what happened. After the story went viral, Kenyans of goodwill joined hands to raise funds for Otieno's education.
A journey that began with a leap of faith has now paid off handsomely. Otieno is one of the 247 out of 303 KCSE candidates from Kanga High School who attained university entry score.
