It was while at Myra girls high school in Kakamega that Mildred fell in love with the French language. Her admiration of the French culture perhaps might have been a huge factor. Maybe it was the thought of going to Paris the city of love and seeing la tour Eiffel (Eiffel tower) that showered her mind.
Greatly, she says her decision to take French was influenced by her high school French teacher who currently works in France. As fate would have it, her love for the language was setting a precedent for her into the career path.
Meet Mildred Mito, a beneficiary of our high school education scholarship program. Mildred holds high praises for the scholarship program.
“The program made us happy and realize our potential in the society. The program gave me light. With UKR education support, I saw my dreams coming true. The fact that I was never sent home for fees made my studies stable. High school was smart,” Mildred notes.
Through our support she managed to pass her high school final exams and got an entry into Maseno university in Kisumu to pursue Bachelors of education Arts (French and Geography option). Mildred shares that French and Geography were her favorite subjects.
“The language is good and I enjoy speaking it. My aim is to work in organizations and aid communication processes using the French language,” she said.
In the Kenyan context, marginalized and underprivileged communities consider going to the university a big deal and when you get a placement to any institution of higher learning that is considered to heighten your dignity and prestige in the society. It is also seen as a path to open doors for prosperity, an equalizer and a chance for the children to change lives of their parents and siblings.
The case is not different from Mildred’s. Happiness is written all over her face. To her the call up to join Maseno university is an eye opener and a chance to the teacher she always wanted to be. “I feel ecstatic. This is the chance for me to be a good teacher and positively impact the society,” she says.
“I aspire to help other vulnerable children in the community when I get employed just like UKR did to me. I want to build my family a new permanent house, buy them a sizable land where they can practice agriculture,” she adds.
Well, Mildred is optimistic of achieving her dreams given the necessary support in school fees payment. The government of Kenya changed the funding model towards university and colleges students leading to a hike in fees.
Mildred’s family is unstable financially. Her older two siblings were forced to discontinue their university education because their father who is a preacher in a local church couldn’t afford to cater for their education. Mildred wants to change the narrative.
Mildred is optimistic given the support in fees and other scholastic needs
It is Mildred’s wish that UKR continues supporting her university education for her to reach the par of her university education and be the first person in the family to study in the university. She says given the opportunity she will come back and help pay fees for her two siblings.
