Challenges in My Live

During my secondary school, I had to cope with many difficulties and challenges which
contributed to my life either negatively or positively. That experience made me stronger; I know
I can cope easily with difficulties in future when faced with it.
To begin with, I am partially deaf. It is a disorder that started earlier in my grade school. The
problem was avoidable, but due to lack of funds to offset the medical bill that were to be
incurred, I had t go through it untreated. This affected me negatively in my studies. I could not
hear what the teacher taught in class: I had to depend mostly on reading as a means of learning.
You can just imagine what I would do in languages and practicals which heavily depend in
listening. Most of the time I had to use my hands as a pinnae extension so that I could get at least
something from the teacher's mouth. The school had no special arrangement for people like me.
Many of my colleagues used to ask me how I make it to the top of the class in such a situation.
The answer is simple, determination and hard work.

Alongside it was fees problem. Since we depended on fruit selling for income, most of the time
my fees could not be paid on time. During holidays I helped my mother in selling fruits so that I
can get what to take to school the following term. This was always limited. My classes were
frequently interrupted so that I can go home to bring fees. At one time my mother told me that I
may have to terminate my studies, at 11th grade, because she couldn't raise my fees anymore.
That was the time when the teachers intervened and I received substantial help from Jomo
Kenyatta Foundation in settling fees. I don't know what to give my mother for this enduring
struggle in ensuring that I completed high school.
In addition to that, my mother was a single parent. She is balancing between being a father and a
mother all at once. She is the only one who provides for our up keeping. Although she is faced
with many challenges-which single mothers go through in everyday life-She ensures that we get
everything that are suppose to get. Her dream is to see that at least one of his children goes up to
university and get a degree. Remember that she never stepped into a school. She sees educating
me to university as the only way to compensate herself for not going to school. She usually jokes
with us that when we complete our studies she will have to go back to school. She urges us to
work hard in school.
There is no one in the whole of my extended family that has gone to university. This is a
challenge that I must take positively and make it to university. I lack role models who are
educated within my family. Before I had entered high school, my dream was to go to high school
and get good grades that will get me to university. That is not a dream which many children in
family have. Theirs is to complete high school and get a good job: probably in the army, police
or navy which don't require a college degree. That is about to change with me getting to
university.
Another challenge was being brought up on a rural Africa village. I consider it a challenge
because, it narrows somebody's exposure. I was born in a rural district, went to grade and high
school in the same district. This time round I want to study far away form home, most scholars,
leaders and scientist never studied in the same environment as they were born. I want that
exposure of studying far away from home. It is surprising to many of my colleagues that I have
not even gone to the capital city of my country.
Another challenge was going to school five miles away. That was from grade one to grade eight
of my studies. My mother used to wake us up at around 5.00 am. This was gruesome to us since
we were still very young. But it was in search for education so we had no other option and if it
was it was to look after cattle. We had to run from home to school to avoid getting to school late.
One was punished for getting to school late regardless of the distance between his or her home
and school. This helped me in nurturing me to be an athlete. It also made me an enduring person
in my life.
Despite all these challenges, I made it in high school. I am now challenged to go beyond my
previous levels of success to reach my fullest potential. I know that I am destined to achieve
greater things in life and I am working to achieve them. There are tougher hurdles a head of me
which I must jump to achieve 'My successes. With determination, the experience I have and hard
work, I know I will achieve it. It has been proven and it is still being proven that disability is not
inability, so what can prevent me not to join the league of those who have proved it. I believe
that even the disabled can synthesize problem-solving strategies for life in this 21st century.
My hidden desire is to be a human rights activist. To advocate for the rights of the disabled in the
society. We are supposed to be accorded equal status like any other person.ing. Most of the time I
had to use my hands as a pinnae extension so that I could get at least something from the
teacher's mouth. The school had no special arrangement for people like me.

Many of my colleagues used to ask me how I make it to the top of the class in such a situation.
The answer is simple, determination and hard work.
Alongside it was fees problem. Since we depended on fruit selling for income, most of the time
my fees could not be paid on time. During holidays I helped my mother in selling fruits so that I
can get what to take to school the following term. This was always limited. My classes were
frequently interrupted so that I can go home to bring fees. At one time my mother told me that I
may have to terminate my studies, at 11th grade, because she couldn't raise my fees anymore.
That was the time when the teachers intervened and I received substantial help from Jomo
Kenyatta Foundation in settling fees. I don't know what to give my mother for this enduring
struggle in ensuring that I completed high school.

In addition to that, my mother was a single parent. She is balancing between being a father and a
mother all at once. She is the only one who provides for our up keeping. Although she is faced
with many challenges-which single mothers go through in everyday life-She ensures that we get
everything that are suppose to get. Her dream is to see that at least one of his children goes up to
university and get a degree. Remember that she never stepped into a school. She sees educating
me to university as the only way to compensate herself for not going to school. She usually jokes
with us that when we complete our studies she will have to go back to school. She urges us to
work hard in school.

There is no one in the whole of my extended family that has gone to university. This is a
challenge that I must take positively and make it to university. I lack role models who are
educated within my family. Before I had entered high school, my dream was to go to high school
and get good grades that will get me to university. That is not a dream which many children in
family have. Theirs is to complete high school and get a good job: probably in the army, police
or navy which don't require a college degree. That is about to change with me getting to
university.

Another challenge was being brought up on a rural Africa village. I consider it a challenge
because, it narrows somebody's exposure. I was born in a rural district, went to grade and high
school in the same district. This time round I want to study far away form home, most scholars,
leaders and scientist never studied in the same environment as they were born. I want that
exposure of studying far away from home. It is surprising to many of my colleagues that I have
not even gone to the capital city of my country.
Another challenge was going to school five miles away. That was from grade one to grade eight
of my studies. My mother used to wake us up at around 5.00 am. This was gruesome to us since
we were still very young. But it was in search for education so we had no other option and if it
was it was to look after cattle. We had to run from home to school to avoid getting to school late.
One was punished for getting to school late regardless of the distance between his or her home
and school. This helped me in nurturing me to be an athlete. It also made me an enduring person
in my life.

Despite all these challenges, I made it in high school. I am now challenged to go beyond my
previous levels of success to reach my fullest potential. I know that I am destined to achieve
greater things in life and I am working to achieve them. There are tougher hurdles a head of me
which I must jump to achieve 'My successes. With determination, the experience I have and hard
work, I know I will achieve it. It has been proven and it is still being proven that disability is not
inability, so what can prevent me not to join the league of those who have proved it. I believe
that even the disabled can synthesize problem-solving strategies for life in this 21st century.

My hidden desire is to be a human rights activist. To advocate for the rights of the disabled in the
society. We are supposed to be accorded equal status like any other person.