Monica Wanjiru: It's never too late to go after your dreams

Monica Wanjiru. It was a challenging balancing act being a wife, mother and student but she succeeded. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

I dropped out of high school at form three aged just 16 years old. This was after I got into the family way but the man responsible would end up being my husband.

I was a bright and promising student and my parents were enraged having invested in my education only for me to disappoint them. They showed me the door and left with no choice, I ended up in marriage at a young age.

I was a housewife for thirteen years during which time we were blessed with two other children. While I remained devoted to my family, I felt a yearning inside me and a determination to better myself so that I could augment my husband’s earnings as a matatu driver. I knew going back to school was the way to start.

I approached the director of Anestar Precious School which is not far from my home village of Munyeki in Nakuru North District. I talked to him about taking me on as a student but he was skeptical at first seeing as I was a 29-year-old mother of three. He however, agreed to take me on as a private candidate provided I would attend school as a regular student. I was the oldest student in the history of that school and commenced my education from where I had left off.

It was a challenging balancing act being a wife, mother and student. I had to wake up early, prepare the children for school and my husband for work before donning my school uniform as well.

It wasn’t without the community’s ridicule that I completed my education. I was the talk of the village for a very long time - the sight of a mother and her children in school uniform set the tongues wagging with many saying I had gone crazy. They accused me of abandoning my family responsibilities for books.

I however, kept on going and excelled in my KCSE. In 2011, I enrolled for a certificate in community nutrition with the Kenya Medical Training College. After graduating in 2013, I registered for a diploma course in the same subject at the same institution while working as a nutrition officer at Subukia Sub-County Hospital. I was later elevated to nutrition technician after receiving my diploma in 2015.

My husband remained supportive all through this journey and ensured I had all I needed to succeed. And he was not spared ridicule for all his efforts.

Prophets of doom wrote off our marriage saying I would abandon him and the children and go for a better educated person. But, their prophesies never came to pass and soon, their envy turned into admiration going by commendations they gave us during our thanksgiving party.

I would like to tell everyone out there that dreams are valid even if circumstances conspire to defer them. You can still achieve yours no matter what stage in life it comes to fruition. It was not until I was 35 years that I accomplished mine.