This archive report was first published on 27 October 2021.
At just 16 years old, Jackson Mwangi from Kiharu, Muranga County, is facing a daunting challenge: providing for his four younger siblings after their mother left them early this year.
As a Class Eight pupil, Mwangi is set to sit the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in March, but his academic ambitions are being put to the test as he struggles to make ends meet.
According to Mwangi, their mother would often go for days without providing for the family, and when she returned, she would be drunk and unable to care for them. The family relied on well-wishers to feed them, and Mwangi has taken it upon himself to find work to support his siblings.
He has found a job in a nearby quarry, where he crushes stones into ballast for a minimal pay of Ksh1,500 to Ksh3,000 per lorry. However, he only manages to crush 20 containers a day, which is a fraction of the 200 required to fill a lorry.
Despite the challenges, Mwangi is determined to succeed and has even found a way to balance his work and school responsibilities. He prepares his siblings for school every morning and has even convinced the headteacher to allow them to attend school without pay.
Mwangi's long-term goal is to become a neurosurgeon, and he hopes that a well-wisher will step in to help him and his siblings. He is also in need of better housing, as the current one is a ticking time bomb that could crumble at any moment.
