Against All Odds: Victor’s Story of Resilience Despite Disability
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- May 27, 2021
Born in 2002, in Kamiwa village, Fort Ternan, Kericho County, is Victor Kiplangat, the last born in a family of four, a 2020 KCSE candidate who did exemplary well in his final exam at the M-PESA Foundation Academy. He was ranked fourth among the top 10 students under the Special Needs Category having scored an A- grade of 80 points.
He went through a tough childhood upbringing. He never got to see his dad. At age 2, his mother (a school teacher at the time) also passed on; this forced him with his other siblings to live with their maternal grandmother.
His first primary school was Chinchila, where his mother used to be a teacher. But due to the fact that there were school needs that were to be catered for, and the family wasn’t able to provide, studying here was quite a challenge. A mothers’ friend who founded a private school thereby fully sponsored him at the Tinga Springs Primary School, also in his village.
Mr Owesi, the headteacher at Tinga Springs Primary School says Victor is a hardworking pupil who was more into books than anything else, and would most of the time also support the other students in their studies as to perform equally better. “During the entire period, he was always ahead of others in the class. He always scored 400 marks and above in the school’s internal exams,” he says.
After the KCPE results were announced and the time to join high school came, Victor had two options: either joins Maranda High School (one of the top-performing schools) or the M-PESA Foundation Academy where he had also applied and he had been selected to join it. Due to his financial situation at the time, he opted for the M-PESA Foundation Academy, which had an all-around environment for students’ development, supportive staff. The Academy was a second home to him.
Victor suffers from Macular degeneration, also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), which is a medical condition that may result in blurred or no vision in the centre of the visual field. Early on there are often no symptoms. And this has always been an Achilles heel for him, since other students don’t know about it, and would make fun of him, on why he has always taken short notes while studying, and also sit very close to the teacher during class sessions.
His greatest moment at the M-Pesa Academy was when he won the ‘Best Article in School Award’ while in Form One.
“I felt thrilled to win such an award. I also had other delightful moments such as going out for programmes like Presidential Awards Program,” he says. A proud moment indeed it will be for any “Fresher” beating all other older students in the school.
When we visited his home in Kamiwa village, two weeks ago, we found an elaborate support system of community members, neighbours, and friends including the area Village Elder who described Victor as a role model to many other children in his community, and they all look up to him to eventually change their lives. His grandmother couldn’t stop praising him, loves and adores him because whenever he comes back home from the academy, he would still go to the shamba, take care of the farm animals, and still takes time to study. His humility and discipline have never been at fault. The grandmother talks of a day when Victor would buy him a new dress.
“I had to work hard for her.” Says Victor about his elder sister, who has been his greatest inspiration, supporter and has always gone out of her ways to see them succeed and have daily provision at home.
His other role model is Charles who is a farm manager at the academy. He also interviewed him during his entry into the school and has always motivated him, and he has always done well at the farm.
COVID-19 pandemic didn’t spare him either. When the schools across the country were closed, M-PESA Academy came to his aid, provided him with a smartphone that enabled him to continue his studies uninterrupted so as to prepare for his upcoming KCSE exams.
He advises the other students not to lose focus since the journey is not that hard. A good student must be disciplined and therefore will not have conflicts with other students and or the authority. A good student must also always participate in school activities and have the determination to succeed.
At the university, he would like to study medicine. The exposure he has had going to the hospitals due to his medical condition, made him adore the professionals, the way they are dressed and how they handle their work. And therefore, he would like to have direct assistance and help to the people. But before that, Victor has to take part in a six weeks leadership programme at the M-PESA Academy Uongozi Centre in a programme that enhances their leadership potential, develop skills in independent thinking as well as assist the learners to incubate business ideas and community projects.
M-PESA Foundation has committed to funding all expenses related to their scholars’ higher education: tuition, accommodation, travel and living.
Graduates from M-PESA Foundation Academy can apply to any reputable university anywhere in the world, and if they secure admission, their education will be wholly funded at the university.
Consequently, M-PESA Foundation has created an endowment fund for the sole purpose of supporting this commitment.
