Name:Joel Tilaiyon
Age:20 Years
Grade:12
Year Scholarship Started:2015
School: Endana Secondary School
He is a boy of very few words. When recounting his story he is straight on point. However, he has this attractive smile that shows a lot of composure.
Joel is the first born in a family of four. They live in a village called Endana in Laikipia North. Like many children, Joel was not lucky to experience fatherly love. His father perished in a road accident.
Life has been full of hardship for Joel. Since the death of his father, his mother works a cook in a local secondary school whereby she earns $30 per month. The money is only enough for basic needs.
At some point when Joel was in grade 7, he dropped school for the second and third semester due to lack of school fees. At that particular time, he was employed as a herdsboy.He managed to raise enough money to pay for his third semester. When he joined grade 8, he managed to go up to the second semester and dropped again to earn money to enable him clear his school fees arrears before he did his final exams. He was revising from home all along. When the exams approached he reported back. After a week he did his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education(K.C.P.E) and he was lucky enough to earn good marks which got him an admission to a secondary school.
Joel had no hope of joining secondary school. By then his elder sister was in secondary school and hence knew his mother can’t afford to pay his school fees. He decided to go back to his work of herdsboy and await any luck. He applied for a scholarship through PA-MOJA and he was lucky enough to qualify for one. Joel would like to be an accountant when he finishes school. He has always admired his cousin who is an accountant plus he is doing so well in Mathematics.
His favourite teacher Mr.Wanyugi because he has been his mentor him since he joined the school. Joel comes from a Samburu community and if given a chance to change one thing in his community; he would advocate for girls education which is never valued and fight against the female genital community. He feels it lowers a woman dignity. Joel would like to thank his donor for paying his school fees and promises to continue working hard. This been his final year in secondary school, he hopes to get good grades so he can join
the university. Were it not for the scholarship, Joel would be a herdsboy, he confesses.
