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| Esther Wavinya earns a scholarship to a UK University |
Esther Wavinya was born and raised in Huruma, a modest neighbourhood in Nairobi. Wavinya’s scholarship is from the Cambridge Trust and the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Kenya. From a young age, she was a beacon of academic promise, receiving accolades as a top pupil in Nairobi province. How Wavinya lost direction However, she lost focus when the turbulence of her teenage years struck, leading to an unplanned pregnancy during high school.The development threw her academic journey off balance, sending her into an unexpected dark phase. Wavinya told TUKO.co.ke that despite the setback, she refused to be defeated. “My early triumphs, shadowed by struggles, were not the end but rather a prelude to a more profound journey,” she started. What was Wavinya’s turning point? In her 20s, working tirelessly in supermarkets to support her daughter and herself, she realized there was more to life. “I turned to books like “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and “The Power of the Subconscious Mind,” she said. The books and countless biographies of people who pursued their dreams despite adversity taught her that the world opens up when we nourish our minds with knowledge. The turning point came in 2013 when she was working as a receptionist and reconnecting with former classmates. Where does Wavinya study? Wavinya says their success reignited her desire for school, a reminder of the doors that education could open. She vowed to embrace and seize any opportunity for education that came her way, a second chance that the universe presented. Today, she is a postgraduate student at the University of Cambridge on a fully funded scholarship. “The scholarship is from the Cambridge Trust and the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Kenya,” she muttered with pride. What has Wavinya learned? Her journey from Nairobi’s supermarkets to one of the world’s premier universities is a testament to the power of education and her resilience. She urged those who doubted the feasibility of their dreams to use her story as a reminder that it was never too late. “Age should not deter your aspirations. I started my degree at 33 and graduated with first-class honours,” she advised. Wavinya is a living example of how dreams can become a reality and how life can be fulfilling when we dare to dream unapologetically.
by Hillary Lisimba
