Student beats diabetes to score 'A' in KCSE exams

He left Garissa as a Standard Six pupil in 2009 to come and live with his uncle in Nairobi. The hot Garissa weather made things difficult for him. For Liban Ahmed suffers from Type 1 diabetes, a chronic condition that was diagnosed in 2006.

Not only did he struggle to excel in his classwork, but he had to also contend with breathing difficulties, nausea and occasional vomiting. More often than not in the hot weather he suffered constant blurred vision where the writings on the blackboard looked more like musical notes. But in 2006, things took a nasty turn and he went into a coma and was rushed to hospital.

“This was the first time I came to know what I was suffering from,” he says.

He was put on insulin, but the punishing hot weather would not even allow storage of the medicine at home. It was then that his parents brought him to Nairobi to continue with his education from his uncle’s place. Throughout his days in primary school he religiously took his medicine.

“They have always been part of me. I have been managing my condition since I was in primary school back in Garissa,” he says.

But in 2012 when he joined Sunshine Secondary School it opened a new world of challenges for Ahmed beyond his regular insulin injections. The diet at the school was unsuitable for his condition and new teachers would not understand why he would suddenly ‘switch off’ in the middle of a lesson. These were times when his blood sugar would suddenly drop and he would need time to recover.

“To get a special diet, I had to let my teachers know that I was diabetic and needed a special diet... I would also carry sweets in my pocket just in case by blood sugar dropped,” he reveals.

Liban Ahmed during a thanksgiving ceremony at Sunshine Secondary School that was presided over by former President Daniel arap Moi. Ahmed scored A in last year's KCSE examinations despite battling Type 1 diabetes. (PHOTO: EDWARD KIPLIMO/ STANDARD)

Not every teacher knew of his condition and thought Ahmed disrespected them by dozing off in class or eating sweets.

“The teachers would make noise. But after the lesson, I would go and talk to them and explain why I was not paying attention in class or could not finish my homework,” he says.

Standing ovation

But Ahmed braved all these and sat his Form Four examinations last year and scored an impressive A. He was among the top students honoured last Sunday during a thanksgiving ceremony that was attended by former President Daniel arap Moi. The lanky 19-year-old Ahmed received a standing ovation as he walked to the former president to receive his award as the school’s most outstanding student. They shared in his journey where insulin injections and other drugs and books were his inseparable companions.

“During my exams, I made sure I did not miss my insulin injection or sweets in my pockets. It was difficult, but I’m happy nothing went wrong,” reveals Ahmed who now wants to pursue Medicine at university.

In Form Three, Ahmed incidentally was appointed the school Medical Captain due to his interest in First Aid and passion for helping students in emergencies earning him the nickname daktari.

The School Principal Kiptum Kibet even read a citation recognising the boy’s outstanding performance. Ahmed’s area MP who is also the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, Aden Duale, was also full of praise for him.

“I want to thank the teachers of Sunshine for giving the boy an opportunity to pursue his education despite his condition. As his MP, I’m very proud of Ahmed and assure him that we will support him in achieving his dream,” Duale said on learning of the boy’s feat.