It was a sigh of relief for Stella Kadzo, a blind mother who depends on well-wishers for her daily survival, after Kilifi leaders came forward to support her following a media report highlighting her plight.
Kadzo had travelled to Shimo La Tewa School empty-handed to plead with the school administration not to cancel her son’s admission to Grade 10 due to lack of school fees. With no stable source of income, she relies on begging and goodwill from strangers to provide for her family.
Her emotional appeal, which was featured in the media, touched many Kenyans. Shortly after the story aired, leaders led by the Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, Fikirini Jacobs, Shella Ward MCA Twahir Abdulkarim, and Malindi MP Amina Laura Munyazi streamed in with financial and material support to help secure the boy’s place in school and ease the family’s burden.
The Principal Secretary paid Ksh53,000 to cover a full year’s school fees and also facilitated the purchase of all required school items for the bright but needy student. He is expected to personally accompany the boy to school on Friday.
On her part, the Malindi Member of Parliament, through the NG-CDF, gave a Sh30,000 cheque to top up the fees for the following year.
Shella Ward MCA Twahir Abdulkarim coordinated the entire process of linking the family to both the PS’s team and the MP’s office, hosting the engagement at his office in the Ngalla area. He also announced that the Kilifi County Government would cater for the rest of the boy’s education up to university level.
The MCA further led the PS’s team in coordinating the shopping exercise, ensuring all the required necessities were bought and that the student was fully prepared to report to school on Friday.
He thanked the PS, the MP, and Governor Gideon Mung’aro for their swift response and assured the family that the boy would remain in school up to university.
Malindi Constituency Manager Juma Kilo, speaking on behalf of the MP, said leaders were happy to have come together to support the needy student.
He noted that many parents were struggling to raise school fees, but the case of a physically challenged mother required urgent intervention, prompting the MP to direct that the kSh30,000 cheque be issued immediately.
The student could not hide his joy upon learning of the support and thanked all those who came to his aid. He promised to work hard and excel in his studies so that he could one day support his physically challenged mother.
Speaking with gratitude, Kadzo said she was overwhelmed by the kindness shown to her, noting that the support had restored her hope and dignity. A mother of five, she said she survives by begging in the streets and had no stable job.
She added that her greatest wish was to see her son go to school so that he could help the family and also support other needy families in future.
She thanked the media for highlighting her plight and all those who contributed financially to ensure her son’s education was secured.
