Within me lies the potential for greatness!

Easy like a Sunday morning, KIMTAI DANIEL walks into the room with a broad smile, betraying the chilling cold at the Morningside Office Park building, along Ngong Road in Nairobi.

Inside the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) offices, a warm cup of tea sets the conversation rolling. Kimtai tells the story of his Chepkirot village in Trans-Nzoia County, where he grew up as the last born in a family of nine.

Down memory lane, how was it growing up in the village?

Back then, life in the village was good. I attended nursery school in my village and proceeded to Tidinet Primary School which was in the adjacent village. Life however was not so enjoyable when I had limited access to food and clothing.

Look, my mother had dropped out of school at Standard Three, while my father had also dropped out at Standard Seven and they were struggling to make ends meet. They practiced subsistence farming, and the produce would only last us for some three months, then we would struggle for the rest of the year. Sometimes we would miss school to accompany our parents for casual labor in the neighboring farms. To make ends meet, my mother ventured into the business of brewing illicit liquor, Kang’ara.

What were some of the challenges that you encountered as a young boy?

I was in Standard Six when I first wore a pair of shoes. I also survived on one pair of uniforms, which I wore daily and was only washed over the weekends. I did not have any revision books; however, I could borrow from some of my classmates who were from well-off families.

The fact that my mother was brewing Kang’ara exposed me to alcohol abuse at a young age. At lunchtime, I would take a mug of Kang’ara with leftover Ugali and rush back to school. I just stopped taking Kang’ara while in Standard Seven when my mum stopped brewing it and that is when I decided to become focused on my schooling. The 385 marks I got in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2016 is a record I set in my former primary school, and no pupil has ever broken it. That should tell you that there is a big challenge with the social environment in the village.

Without this scholarship, would it have been easy for you to study?

After receiving my KCPE results, I was invited to join Chavakali Boys High School. My parents did not know what to do with me, as I had applied for various scholarships to no avail. My step-grandfather sympathised and requested my step-uncle to sponsor me to join Form One. He paid all my Form One school fees and bought all the required items.

In the second year, while I was stuck at home, another uncle heard about Edumed Trust who partnered with KCDF to offer education scholarships to vulnerable children. He then followed up with Edumed Trust. I was invited for an interview, and I passed. That is how I linked up with KCDF. When I got the scholarship award letter, I knew that there was a seed of greatness in me! Had it not been for that scholarship, I wouldn’t have finished my secondary school studies. In partnership with KCDF, the Chandaria Foundation education scholarship programme paid for my school fees, Sh30,000 yearly.

How has this scholarship transformed your mindset?

[Chuckling] The moment I ventured beyond the confines of my quaint Trans Nzoia village and arrived in Nairobi for my interview at Edmund Chandaria Education Scholarship Programme Trust, a breathtaking sight unfolded before me. Immaculately paved roads stretched out in every direction, their brilliance heightened by the dazzling streetlights that illuminated the cityscape.

Towering, ultramodern skyscrapers soared into the sky, their sleek designs casting awe-inspiring shadows. My senses were treated to a feast of visual marvels, and my mind was equally captivated by the urban spectacle that surrounded me. I told myself that I would work hard to change the life situation in my village which had no electricity and donned grass-thatched huts.

This was a new way of life which opened my mind. I made a solemn vow to myself that I would not only strive for success but also triumph in this journey of life.

My ultimate aspiration: to return to my humble village and catalyze transformative changes. I firmly believe that I am on the path leading me back to my roots, destined to become a change agent. However, I recognize that the timing of these profound transformations’ rests in the hands of a higher power, and I wholeheartedly trust in God’s divine timing to guide my journey.

KCDF scholars have to write a letter to their sponsor, on their academic progress, annually. How did this letter impact your studies?

This letter certainly gave me quite the push! [He chuckles]. Knowing that there was an impending academic report to be submitted motivated me to engage in a thorough revision for my upcoming examinations.

At a certain juncture, I took the initiative to engage in a constructive conversation with one of the officials at Edumed Trust. Their invaluable advice was to create a personalized timetable that allocated substantial dedicated time to the subjects in which my performance had been less than satisfactory.

Moreover, I proactively sought out fellow students who excelled in the subjects that posed a challenge to me, particularly Mathematics and English, and established friendships with them. I would discuss past question papers with them.

This assisted me so much, as when I sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE) in April 2021 I scored a B+ in Mathematics, English B-, Biology B+, Chemistry B, Physics B- Kiswahili B+, Geography B+. Overall I had a B+ mean grade.

What were some of your key highlights at Chavakali Boys High School?

My journey led me to discover a passion for athletics, and amid my educational journey, in Form Two, I achieved a remarkable feat by clinching victory in the County-level marathon competition. As I progressed to Form Four, I found myself at the sub-county level.

However, my class teacher, recognizing my candidacy and the importance of academic focus, wisely advised that I temporarily set aside my athletic pursuits to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to revision and preparation for my impending examinations.

How is campus life treating you?

I am happy that in September 2021 I joined Egerton University in Njoro, where I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Controlled Engineering. My parents fundraised for the first semester, and in the second semester, they sold all their farm produce to pay for my fees.

Since my parents didn’t have the money to pay for my second year first semester I have deferred until September this year 2023. I have applied for financing from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and I am yet to hear from them.

There is also a unit where a laptop is a compulsory requirement, but I do not have. I humbly appeal to anyone who may be able to assist me in acquiring a laptop. While my parents continue to face financial challenges, my unwavering hope remains steadfast that a favorable opportunity will arise, allowing me to complete my degree successfully.

Can you share some of your aspirations and goals?

I am in the process of becoming one of the greatest electrical engineers in Africa this century [he chuckles]. Alongside my job, I would want to go into self-employment. I would want to light up my village once I become an electric engineer.

We still depend on those portable solar lanterns as we are yet to be connected to the national grid. Another cherished dream of mine is to provide a comfortable and peaceful life for my parents by establishing them on a sprawling farm, complete with a spacious, state-of-the-art house.

Tell me more about your mentor.

I highly respect and follow in the footsteps of one Chelugei, an electrical engineer from my village. Though he holds a certificate in electrical engineering, he has a lot of knowledge and expertise. I look at him as my source of inspiration. He is doing well, and I respect him.

Any comments about this scholarship?

I appreciate KCDF through the Chandaria Education Scholarship Fund for extending my academic journey.

My education would have ended right at Form One, had they not come to my aid. Seven of my siblings dropped out of school, and only one, the fifth-born completed secondary school and proceeded to a teacher training college.

He is currently working as a Board of Management (BOM) teacher. My sisters got married just after they had completed Standard Eight. They were brilliant, but the school fees were lacking.

Any advice that you can share with anyone out there who is reading this?

Do not lose hope. Pray to God, work hard, and believe.

Secondly, if you have the means and resources – no matter how small – purpose to explore philanthropy. Giving to the needy in an organised structure like what the KCDF is doing can be rewarding because you can see the transformation and change in the lives of people. I would like to be a benefactor in the future!