Esther Akoth, also known as Akothee, a renowned musician and businesswoman, has extended a helping hand to a promising student named Jerry Oriedo. Despite achieving an impressive score of 374 marks in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), Jerry opted to return to grade six due to financial constraints hindering his admission to Kanga High School.
Jerry, the top performer at St. Mercy Primary in Awendo, Migori County, expressed his inability to afford the fees required for joining grade 7 or 8. Faced with financial challenges, he made the difficult decision to go back to grade six, the level he could manage financially.
Upon learning about Jerry’s situation, Akothee took to social media to express her commitment to assist him. She called on Facebook users to provide information about Jerry’s whereabouts, school details, and urged that secondary education should be accessible to everyone.
Akothee pledged to reach out to school administrations, such as Kanyawanga, with compassionate leaders, to secure admission for Jerry while efforts continued to raise funds for his high school education. She emphasized the importance of making secondary education inclusive.
In a heartening turn of events, Joseph Mitito, a member of the Kanga class of 1995, disclosed that they had decided to cover Oriedo’s form one school fees. However, he informed Akothee that Jerry only lacked school uniforms to join Kanga. Mitito assured that Oriedo would be admitted on Monday, January 22.
Additionally, Public Health Expert Prof Ochieng Odongo Maxwell confirmed the authenticity of Jerry’s case and volunteered to pay his form one fees. Expressing gratitude for the support, Odongo clarified that he could cover the first year’s expenses and acknowledged other well-wishers who had offered assistance for the subsequent years.
Jerry Oriedo, grappling with feelings of embarrassment, shared that he hesitated to discuss joining form one with his mother as his peers had already entered high school. Despite these challenges, he expressed hope that someone would come to his rescue in the future, emphasizing his commitment to continue learning.
