[two_third]Rose Nkoisila
Rose April Update
Age: 17
Form: 4 (Grade 12) – January 2020
School: Loise Girls Secondary School– Boarder
PA-MOJA Scholarship started: Form 1 (Grade 9)
Sponsoring School: Acadia Junior High, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Rose is the youngest in a family of five, which includes two brothers and two sisters. She lives with her parents in a small village called Segera in Laikipia North. Her eldest brother is currently working as a commercial vehicle driver while her two sisters are married. Rose’s sisters didn’t get a chance to finish primary school because their father felt he had no choice but to marry them off at a very young age.
Her second eldest brother was lucky enough to receive a scholarship from another non-profit foundation after achieving top marks in his class in primary school.
Neither of Rose’s parents went to school. They live on a small farm where her mother does causal labor and her father is employed by a local farmer to tend his livestock. The little they earn is used for basic needs.
Rose is a bright young student who achieved high grades in Primary School. Unfortunately, her parents didn’t have the money to pay her school fees and as tradition dictated, her father wanted to marry her off just like her two older sisters. However, Rose is quick to note that it was not her father’s wish to marry her off because her sisters have been suffering violence in their marriages. He simply couldn’t find an alternative way to solve the situation.
Learning that she was to be married off was the most depressing moment in her life. She watched as her father interviewed men who visited the home to bid for her. It is at that time that her former Primary School head teacher realized Rose, one of his best students, hadn’t reported to school with the rest of her classmates. The teacher called her for a meeting and Rose shared the story of her father’s plans to marry her off. The teacher was not happy and decided to take it upon himself and look for a scholarship for Rose.
Through the community representative, the teacher learned of PA-MOJA scholarships and assisted her through the application process. Because of her high grades, she easily qualified and was accepted to Loise Girls’ Secondary School, one of the top schools in Laikipia.
Rose’s favourite subjects are Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Christian Religious Education (C.R.E). Her favourite teacher is her Mathematics teacher because she takes time to explain the concepts and is emotionally supportive. Rose hopes to be a doctor in the future.
During school holidays, Rose helps her mother with house chores, studying, and also looks for casual work to earn extra money to pay for school supplies. In her spare time, she loves cooking. She also holds mentorship sessions in her community, particularly with girls, to encourage them to work hard in their studies despite the hardships in their homes. She always encourages them to emulate her commitment. However, Rose faces a great challenge back home because the house doesn’t have electricity, making it hard for her to study once the sun goes down.
Rose is a great enthusiast of wildlife, particularly rhinos. If given a chance to change her country, she would campaign against choosing leaders in line with tribes. She considers it retrogressive thinking. In her Samburu community, she would change the discrimination against girls. Boys are valued at the expense of girls. They are almost always taken to school while girls are usually married off at a young age.
Rose has a message for her PA-MOJA donors: “I would like to thank PA-MOJA and all the donors for this scholarship. Without this support, I would already be married at my young age and my hard work in primary school would have gone to waste. I now have the opportunity to be a role model to other girls in my community. I thank you all so much for changing my life.”
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Christmas Greetings, August 2018 Update,Rose’s comment June 2018 [/one_third_last]
