Maureen Onyango
8 July 2009
Nairobi — Bare feet, patched clothing and clean shaven hair is the picture she paints when she describes her days in primary school. The classes made of mud with no roofing and no desks were the first facilities that Renice Atieno got when she started on her education path.
But now, all that is about to change and her eyes brightens when she describes what she has read about the university she is to join next month.
Her life has been full of struggles, no books, no teachers and her parents struggling to feed them and at the same time give her a basic education.
Airlift programme
Renice is one of the twenty five girls who will have their career dreams realised through an Airlift programme to universities abroad. The girls mostly from poor families have acquired scholarships from universities in United States and South Africa and are expected to leave the country in August.
Her excitement is obvious with her frequent bursts of laughter.
"I am going to a big university to study Computer Science I have even taught my parents how to open an Email account so that I can communicate with them when I am way," she says excitedly.
She will be joining Rutgers University in New Jersey next month and is thrilled that they have accepted her to join a special college within the university called Douglass Residential College, which focuses on women excellence and leadership.
Like her, most of the girls in this program choose Science courses as compared to those who opt for design.
The airlift initiative supports the education of girls from disadvantaged and poor backgrounds and is done by the Zawadi Africa Foundation.
The foundation is run by Dr Susan Mboya, the daughter of politician Tom Mboya, who says she is running the program the same way her father ran it but with emphasis on girls as a way of empowering women in Kenya.
"Zawadi was inspired by the work of my father and I wish to follow on his footsteps, to continue his dream of making great leaders," she said at Panafric Hotel, Nairobi on Wednesday.
Academic excellence
All girls must show academic excellence and leadership potential to be considered for the scholarships. They are also expected to hold leadership positions in their second year in their respective universities.
Mr Mboya arranged the "airlifting" of Kenyan students to friendly countries, mainly USA, for further studies through his program Tom Mboya African Student Airlift.
Some of the beneficiaries of this program include personalities like Barack Obama Snr, the father of US President Barack Obama and Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Mathaai.
Dr Mboya says her initiative was inspired by her father's dream of creating great African leaders.
"It was my father's dream as it is mine that the beneficiaries study in a wide variety of disciplines though most of the students prefer sciences," she said.
Tom Mboya's initiative marks its 50th Anniversary Thursday and Zawadi will hold a fund raising dinner-cum farewell party for the girls.
Beneficiaries of the Tom Mboya "airlifts" of the 1960s are expected to attend the dinner to counsel the girls leaving for further studies.
The girls will take four year courses in the universities and are expected to come back to serve the country, which will help avoid brain drain in the country.
"It is mandatory that they do school projects that could be implemented to make the communities which they come from better" said Dr Mboya.
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Renice's story reminds me too of what many people go through in rural schools, what i believe is that it matters not where you come from or what you put on when going to shool but what matters is what you do with your time at school. I would also like to support Dr. Mboya as she is doing all she can to promote girlchild education which is seen as of no use by many people in local areas. I am privillaged to comment this. Emmanuel Omeda Kubasu.(Busia-Kenya)