Top KCPE boy overcame hearing disorder to post sterling results

Victor Oduor, the boy who topped this year's Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam with 437 marks, overcame a hearing challenge to register sterling performance.

Oduor, 15, a student at Daisy Special School for the physically handicapped in Kakamega County, has had hearing impairment for years.

The teenager's father, Steven Chweya, says the boy began to have hearing problem at the age of four.

"It all started when he was in pre-unit. Pus came out of his ears and we took him to hospital where he was given medication. It was all well for a while," he said.

"We later realised that when you talked to him, you had to be really close. He would not hear anything if you were some distance away. Teachers later called me and confirmed the problem. You had to be within a metre to talk to my son, and if not, you really had to shout for him to hear you," he said.

This forced the boy to start using hearing aids and would always sit at the front of the class.

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The family later relocated from Nakuru to Kakamega in 2008, with the boy securing admission at Daisy Special School.

But today, Oduor, the second born in a family of eight, is reaping the fruits of his hard work. His performance has seen him land a scholarship from Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.

Oduor scored 99 in Kiswahili, 97 in English, 87 in Mathematics, 83 in Social Studies and Religion and 71 in Science. He says his aim was to get at least 400 marks to help him land a scholarship because his parents are poor.

The governor committed to pay one full-year fees and other expenses for Oduor. It comes as a huge relief to Oduor's father, a boda boda operator, and his wife, who were apprehensive about raising the money required to admit their son to a national school.

The boy was in the company of his father and former head teacher Rosemary Obiero, mathematics teacher Steward Okumu and two classmates when they met the governor.

"We taught them through hardship but we thank God because our boys have made us proud and put the name of our school on the map," said Obiero.

She said the good performance could not have been realised were it not for the huge efforts put in by Education CS Fred Matiang'i in reforming the Kenya National Examination Council and the well-wishers who supported the school.

"Some friends of the school offered to provide meals for our Standard Eight pupils during the last term, enabling us to keep them in school throughout the term," she said.

Obiero welcomed the support from Governor Oparanya.

The boy's father said when they relocated to Kakamega, Oduor's performance was poor and he had to plead with the school head teacher who reluctantly agreed to admit him on condition that he repeats Class Five.

"All I asked from my father was more revision books, including an encyclopedia, that helped a great deal," he says, adding that learning with physically handicapped colleagues in over-stretched facilities proved to be a challenge.

Teachers and his parents would always advise him to ignore everything else that could distract his focus and work hard and slowly Oduor adapted to his new environment.

Chweya is hopeful that his son is on the right path to realise his dream of becoming a doctor in future.

Though grateful to Oparanya for his gesture, Chweya's worry is that he might not manage to pay fees for the other three years.

"I call upon other well-wishers to come and help us support Oduor," he said.