After the release of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results, Margaret Baliseneka had every reason to celebrate. Despite numerous challenges, she had defied the odds and excelled.
Margaret, a former student at Kenya High School, endured a difficult journey during her studies. She was forced to drop out of school due to personal disputes with her parents, a situation that led her to an uncertain path.
“For three months, I was selling snacks and fries while staying with my family. I didn’t care what people thought of me; all I cared about was surviving,” she shared during an interview with Nation.
Eventually, Margaret found herself working in a nightclub in Kilifi town after a friend introduced her to the job.
“I worked at the club for eight months, earning a monthly salary of Sh12,000. At that time, it felt like I was starting afresh,” she said.
Unbeknownst to her, her parents had begun searching for her and had reported her disappearance to various police stations. In 2021, police managed to trace and arrest her. However, before she could be taken back to her hometown in Kakamega, her parents were summoned and advised to take her for counseling.
After spending years in menial jobs and reflecting on her life, Margaret, who had dropped out of school in 2020 while in Form Three, realized the importance of education. Determined to turn her life around, she enrolled at Bridgewater High School in Njoro, Nakuru County, where she resumed her studies and eventually sat for her KCSE exams in 2023.
“I was appointed head girl, which greatly motivated me to be a role model for other students,” Margaret recounted. Her hard work paid off, as she scored an impressive A- grade in the KCSE exams.
Although she fell just short of her goal of achieving an A plain, Margaret expressed gratitude for her success. “I thank God for my performance, which will help me achieve my dreams,” she said. Margaret aspires to pursue a degree in medicine at the university, a goal she is now well on her way to achieving.
