Norway-Based Homa Bay Man Steps in to Rescue KCSE Candidate from Dropping Out of School
- Iddah Rachael Otieno was on the verge of missing her KCSE exams over an unpaid fee balance of just KSh 18,500
- Then Nathaniel Odongo Owino, a kindhearted stranger who once hawked omena to survive, stepped in and changed everything
- Nathaniel's move ensured the youngster remains in school to prepare for her national exams, which are approaching
Homa Bay - Iddah Rachael Otieno, a Form Four student at Paul Mboya High School, watched for months as her dreams were stifled by poverty.
Source: UGC
However, fate took a hopeful turn for the youngster from Lwala in Central Karachuonyo when a stranger with a familiar past stepped in.
How much was Iddah's fee balance?
Iddah, a bright and determined KCSE candidate, told TUKO.co.ke that she had been locked out of school due to a KSh 18,500 fee balance, a staggering amount for her humble family.
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With the national exams drawing closer each day, her chances of completing high school were fading fast.
That is, until philanthropist Nathaniel Odongo Owino, a recent graduate who once battled similar odds, learned of her plight.
“I saw myself in Iddah,” Nathaniel said. “I know what it means to stay home when your peers are in school, simply because of school fees. It broke my heart.”
Nathaniel's promise to Iddah
Nathaniel, whose own journey includes repeating multiple classes, hawking omena in Mombasa after suspension from university, and later earning a scholarship to study in Norway, has become a beacon of hope to many.
His life, once marked by struggle, is now rooted in giving back, and Iddah became his next mission.
Without hesitation, he cleared Iddah’s entire fee balance and committed to supporting any future educational needs she might have.
For Iddah, this wasn’t just about money. It was a lifeline, a chance to reclaim her dream of completing high school and building a better life.
“Her future shouldn’t be defined by her family’s financial status,” Nathaniel emphasised. “I believe that educating a poor child is one of the most powerful ways to change the world.”
Nathaniel's advice to society
Nathaniel’s act of compassion has sparked wider reflection on the state of education and community responsibility.
“It breaks my heart to learn that children still stay home for lack of school fees, in silence and shame,” he said. “As a society, we must ask ourselves, are we doing enough?”
He urged parents, leaders, educators, and citizens to place children's education at the forefront of their priorities.
“Under the pressure of daily life, we often forget that giving is not just about grand gestures. It’s about changing one life, one story, at a time.”
Today, Iddah is back in school: focused, determined, and inspired. And for Nathaniel, the mission continues: to ensure no child is left behind simply because they can’t afford to dream.
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Source: UGC
Nathaniel Odongo's inspiring story
Arguably, the main reason Nathaniel likes to help students from humble backgrounds is that he endured the same growing up.
After his mother's demise, he took two years in each grade from Class 3, only to sit for his KCPE exams and score poorly.
When his father refused to send him to high school over poor performance, it was the wake-up call he needed.
After repeating classes over five times and being suspended while at Masinde Muliro University, he defied the odds to graduate from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
