Life is not always a straight road. Sometimes it curves, dips or rises in ways we never expect. My education journey is one such winding path, marked by unseen hands, answered prayers and burning desires to become more than what my circumstances could allow.
Back in 2021, at the height of a pandemic that caged the world, and disrupted academic calendars, I was just an ordinary student at Kisaju Dipak Secondary School, in Kajiado, quietly pushing through form three with the weight of uncertainty heavy on my shoulders. Like many students across Kenya, I faced the bitter reality of financial instability. School fee was a shadow hounding me as if to dim my light. I often asked myself how I would ever make it to the finish line.
But then, something beautiful happened quietly without noise or grand announcements. Tenda Wema[1] came my way and did me good. The charity initiative which is hosted by Zizi Afrique Foundation and supported by other partners, stepped into my story. A chance visit by Dr. Sara Ruto at our school, exposed me to my destiny. The passionate educationist had a view into my potential via this story which I had just recorded on the demise of Tanzania’s former president Pombe Magufuli. Sara, as she likes to be called, was God-sent.
Following a brief talk with my teacher, who knew about my struggles, Sara took action! At the time, I did not even know who was paying for my education. I did not know that somewhere, someone had chosen to believe in me without ever meeting me. It was only after for my Kenya Certificate of secondary Education (KCSE) examinations that I discovered the truth, that Tenda Wema had been the angel in the background, covering my fees and keeping my dream alive. That moment was more than a revelation. It was a reminder that God works in silence, but His works are never small. It was divine destiny, shaping up with one arm of kindness at a time.
Tenda Wema did not just stop at lifting the burden of school fees. No. They looked beyond the grades, beyond the classroom, and saw a storyteller in the making. After high school, I was invited to Zizi Afrique Foundation Office for something that would change the trajectory of my life. A career conversation.
I remember walking in nervous, unsure but I walked out certain, inspired and determined. On that day, we did not just talk about jobs, we talked about purpose, passion, potential and from those deep conversations, a path began to form. That path of journalism, not just a course but a calling, a calling to speak, to write, to tell stories that matter, such as this one.
Thanks to the support from Tenda Wema, I joined Multimedia University of Kenya in 2022, my heart full of hope and my future no longer a foggy blur. I could see where I was going and for the first time in a long while, it felt like I truly belonged. I am proud to have been enrolled in Tenda Wema list of 108 beneficiaries who are spread across primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions.
The story does not end in lecture halls or textbooks. Tenda Wema introduced me to another side of sports. Every year, the initiative organizes a sports day dubbed Sara Cup, now running into its fifth edition. The annual tournament is held in honour of renowned Kenyan educationist and celebrated researcher Dr. Sara Ruto, who watched and bought my story. Her efforts to improve learning outcomes of children furthest left behind, did not leave me behind. The cup raises funds to lend a hand to needy yet not so brainy students.
In 2023 when the whistle blew to usher in the 3rd edition of Sara Cup, I jumped into the field. It was a fun-filled moment meant to raise a coin for another Sylvia or Silvance, somewhere. Each race I ran, each cheer I gave, was a small way to say thank you. Not just for me, but for every other young person who still dreams in silence, waiting to be heard and helped.
Tenda Wema continues to do me good. It has created opportunities not only for my mind, but for my heart and hands too.
Today I continue walking hand in hand with Zizi Afrique Foundation, now serving as an attaché as I await my crown. Here I get to learn, to grow and to contribute to something greater than myself. The foundation has become more than a workplace, it is home.
Yes, this journey has been long, riddled with pain, but also drizzled with hope. I am not just a beneficiary of kindness I am a bearer of it. As I look forward to graduate in October 2025, I do so with a heart full of gratitude and a mind set on giving back. For I know what it feels like to lack and how it feels get help. I know what it means when someone says, “I believe in you.” Now, I want to be that someone to others. I would like to tenda wema.
@sylviamutama
[1] Tenda Wema is Kiswahili for Do Good
