Education is the key THE LIFE OF A UNIVERSITY STUDENT IN KENYA IS NEVER AN EASY ONE. MARVIN OMONDI FROM NAIROBI SHARES WITH SCRIBE SOME OF THE DAILY CHALLENGES STUDENTS IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY FACE IN TRYING TO ACHIEVE TERTIARY EDUCATION TO BETTER THEIR FUTURE...
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ducation is the key to success in life. This fact has been proven beyond doubt all over the world; however, it can also be argued that success in life does not solely depend on how educated one is! Africa, although blessed with wonderful scenery, some of the finest brains in history and not forgetting the massive mineral deposits, continues to struggle with enormous challenges on a daily basis. While education is a right, for many on this continent, education is only for those with power. There is potential in many countries that can propel them to greater heights, but due to ignorance and poor leadership, we in Africa, are still immersed in many injustices; mainly poverty and insecurity. Despite the fact, formal education is fast gathering momentum throughout the continent, informal education still remains a preferred priority among many communities.
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SCRIBE Issue 3
Nairobi is the capital city of my country, Kenya, which lies on the East side of Africa. Kenya has a population of just over forty million and Nairobi alone has a population of four million. This is the result of rural-urban migration – with education and job hunting being a major influence in the move. There are seven public universities in the country, twenty private ones, numerous Colleges, Polytechnics and Technical institutes. These educational institutes are spread all over the country; however, the majority is in Nairobi or its proximity. The education system in Kenya is 8-4-4, meaning one attends Primary school for eight years, Secondary school for four years and the remaining four years are for higher learning. The latter usually depends on what course is pursued on campus as some courses may take up to six years to complete. Completing the 8-4-4 cycle successfully is no mean feat for any student given the
ups and downs we go through. School is never comfortable or fun for many of us. Only the resilient students make it to the very end, while many drop out and opt for poorer choices in life which cause them even more misery. Life in the university is not easy; it requires a lot of determination and dedication just to survive. Most students reside in hostels in and around the campus. However, not all of us are fortunate enough to secure accommodation in these hostels. Therefore, we are left with no choice but to reside far from the university in affordable accommodation. I myself am an example of this, studying in one of the public universities (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology). Nairobi is an urban settlement with numerous residential estates and people from all walks of life. I live in the Eastern part of the City where there are buses – which we commonly refer to as ‘matatu’ – taxis and train services ferrying residents
a continual uphill struggle for many students. On a more positive note, what I like about meeting and studying with different people is making new friends and becoming more flexible in life. I believe life is to be experienced and you can never keep to yourself all the time, therefore engaging with others adds to your life experience, making it a much more interesting journey.
in and out of the city centre. It can be quite challenging as a student commuting to and from campus. To make it to class on time, I have to wake up very early so as not to be caught in the morning traffic jams. I do not always manage to beat this traffic and sometimes spend hours in the nagging jams even though I woke up early! This causes me to miss some lectures or arrive to class halfway through. During the rainy season things turn from bad to worse. Rain in this part of the country is always a blessing in disguise. Aside from getting wet and walking through the flooded roads, it’s usually hard to catch a ‘matatu’ to or from school. Fares are normally hiked to three times their normal cost and the confusion on the roads makes matters worse as there are chaotic traffic snarls on almost all roads, leaving motorists with a massive headache! At the university itself there are still more challenges to face. Kenya is a country that is comprising of citizens from forty two tribes, yet we have to harmoniously co-exist as one people. Finding peace tends to be more like chasing shadows in the dark, yet, somehow we still manage to remain united as a country. On campus meetings and interacting with different people and different personalities is
Tribalism is always rife at the university. Those in leadership positions always put their tribesmen first, leaving the supposedly less important tribes on the sidelines. Occasionally students also suffer prejudice, finding access to some facilities on campus difficult. Furthermore, the fact that there are not enough facilities to cater for the large student population e.g. 15,000 students at my university is yet another obstacle. Fee payment is an additional challenge Kenyan students must face, as no student is allowed to attend classes or sit exams without clearing their fees arrears. Not everyone comes from well-to-do families and orphan students feel the pinch the most. In public universities there are regular and parallel students. The government pays 60% of the fee for regular students while parallel students pay the whole amount from their own pockets. Regular students are those who have attained a certain high grade at the end of their secondary education. Life without money on campus is very difficult. As a student there are numerous needs, from school projects, to food, clothing and other unexpected expenses. It is always a relief to have a genuine and reliable source of income. Unfortunately, the students who lack honest financial support are tempted to seek money via robbery and prostitution – crimes that
cannot be condoned. These students continually live their lives on the line, with only a few managing to successfully complete their courses. Alcoholism and drug addiction are other major detractors that cause students to lose focus on their academic bearing. Peer pressure and influence are to blame for this. Brilliant brains and able citizens have been lost as a result – defying logic why one would struggle so hard to get to university, only to blow the opportunity away before enjoying the fruits of their labour. It is true students need to enjoy their youth, but they also need to proceed with caution and remain disciplined. This way, success will always be knocking at their door. Being a university student in this part of the world is quite an amazing feat given the tribulations we go through, still to make it at the end of the day. After all, many have been there before and they’ve made it; so why not me?! Indeed a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. It only takes endurance for success to be achieved. Education is the key; therefore, it should be affordable to all. We are the makers of our own destiny and as Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Success is moving from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”. It is that enthusiasm that I would encourage students to have in all that they do in life.
MARVIN OMONDI Photography: Cam Allen
SCRIBE Issue 3
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