This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
October 19, 2019, marked a turning point for Samuel Mokaya, an 18-year-old former student who had just completed his KCSE exams with a B- grade.
However, Mokaya's academic success was short-lived as his father, Benson Rang'ondi, a former renowned athlete, developed a mental illness after falling during an athletics competition.
As a result, Mokaya was unable to join Machakos University, where he was selected to study actuarial science, and was forced to venture into tea picking to earn a living.
Speaking from their home in Gianchore village, Kitutu Masaba, Nyamira County, Mokaya said he was forced to assist his mother in picking tea for neighbors among other menial jobs to earn daily bread.
"I have also been unable to collect my certificate from my former school, Amabuko secondary, due to a fee balance of Ksh. 42,000," he said.
Mokaya's mother, Stella Rang'ondi, appealed to well-wishers to help raise the required amount to get her son into university, displaying several trophies her husband had bagged during his heydays.
The family can be reached on cell phone number 0792005337.
