Campus student gives hope to KCSE candidates who scored poor grades

Mr. Christopher Ogeto, 23, is currently the talk of Marani Sub-County after starting an initiative to empower candidates who failed KCSE to join campus.

Through his initiative dubbed, Student Council Help Group, Mr. Ogeto single handedly seeks students who scored between D+ and C Plain and organizes for them to repeat classes in identified schools.

He has created a network with school principals who are willing to take in such students at no cost, within Kisii County and outside the county.

This means that the students who are willing to repeat classes for the fourth form are given a scholarship. They do not pay a penny during the whole year of learning.

Mr. Job Wanjala from Itibo Boys, one of the headmasters who have given in to this plan says that apart from giving back to the community, it is a good way of raising the school profile as most of these students end up performing well. “This is a way of encouraging our youth that there is always a second chance in life. It is also a way of raising the profile of the school since when these students are given another opportunity; they tend to use it well to their advance. Most of these students end up doing better,” Explains Mr. Wanjala.

Ogeto, the pioneer of this program claims that he was motivated to start this project since he is a beneficiary of such a program. He completed his KCSE in 2015 with a grade of C+ from Masakwe Secondary School. However, Mr. Job Wanjala, who was by then a head teacher at Nyakeiri Secondary School, encouraged him to repeat at his school, at no cost. He ended up scoring a grade of B- in 2016 which enabled him to join Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University in Bondo. He is currently a third year Education student at the institution.

“If I was not accorded such support, I believe that I would not have seen the inside of campus in the first place,” he tells The Standard.

In showing his appreciation, Mr. Ogeto has endeavored to assist students in the same predicament to have another chance. The program has been made possible by principals and headmasters who are willing to support his course.

“Actually, many students could perform better if given a second chance, but many are unable to repeat because they do not have resources,” explains Mrs. Silvar, a principal at Nyakeiri Secondary School also adding that “some bright students end up performing dismally due to circumstances at that time, if the environment changes, they will do better.”

The program which commenced in 2016 has successfully helped various students to join colleges and universities.

In 2017, Loyd Onderi Nyamweya and Hannington Nyamweya from the same family and beneficiaries of this program, scored B Minus and B Plus respectively.  Before repeating, the students had managed to score C- and C respectively.

Mr. Ogeto wishes to support more students but cannot do so due to financial constraints.  The fact that he is also a student makes matters worse. “If I had resources, I could even employ staff to do networking, create posters and run awareness programs to reach these students and parents alike,” he says.