This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
As I reflect on my high school days, I am reminded of the countless challenges my classmates and I faced. We were admitted to Lokitaung Secondary School in Turkana County, a school that was aptly nicknamed 'Manyani' after an infamous freedom fighters detention camp.
Our living conditions were far from ideal. We showered in communal bathrooms with no doors, and during peak shower time, the place resembled a well-attended nudist conference. The food was also a source of concern, with big weevils jumping out of our plates, carrying away all the maize, leaving us to starve on half-cooked beans and maize soup.
Despite these hardships, we managed to memorize the Archimedes principle, and when the exams came around, we showed them dust. Out of the school emerged average students who went on to become successful hardware shop owners and landlords, as well as the most vocal politicians and bloggers.
Today, I look back on those days and realize that the school may not have provided us with the best living conditions or food, but it did give us a strong foundation in our studies. We may not have had the most comfortable or luxurious experience, but we made the most of it, and it has shaped us into the individuals we are today.
