Growing up in poverty, like many other Kenyans, Ngina was accustomed to the daily hardships of life. She often had to fetch water from the River Sagana, a task that required walking three kilometers from her home. Every morning, she walked to school barefoot, a stark reminder of the challenges she faced.
In an interview, Ngina shared how these struggles shaped her resilience, determination, and positive outlook on difficult situations.
In 2002, she sat for her KCPE exams and scored 235 marks, a result that fell short of her family’s expectations. Her late mother, disappointed with the outcome, encouraged the youngest of her two children to retake the exams. Ngina, resolute in her desire to improve her academic future, managed to score 368 points the following year, defying the odds when many would have given up.
Despite the financial challenges her mother faced in paying school fees, Ngina persevered through her four years at Tumu Tumu Girls High School in Nyeri. Her hard work paid off when she earned a B+ in her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), paving the way for her to enroll at Egerton University to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.
Driven by an unrelenting desire to succeed, Ngina dedicated herself to her studies. “For fourteen months, I couldn’t sleep without taking something (sleeping pills), but sometimes I would tell myself, I don’t want to take these pills. When I didn’t take them, I spent most of the time on my laptop, working hard,” she recalled.
Ngina’s situation worsened after her mother passed away, a devastating loss that marked one of the darkest periods of her life. “Her death made me work even harder because I wanted to prove to myself that, although she was my greatest pillar, I could stand on my own after she was gone. It pushed me to work even harder,” she said.
Her passion and talent for applied mathematics earned her a full scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics after graduating with First Class Honours in 2013. Three years later, she enrolled in Strathmore University’s Biomathematics program while also serving as an assistant lecturer.
In June 2018, at the age of 28, Purity Ngina earned her PhD, a testament to her unwavering determination and remarkable journey.
