Lady who sat KCSE at 32, finally graduates with nursing diploma

 

Purity Nkatha, a 36 year old mother of an 11 year old sat the KCSE exams at 32 and finally graduates as a nurse. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

It is said that successful people are not born; they grow up and make themselves successful by doing things that unsuccessful people don’t like to do. One such person is Purity Nkatha.

Ms Nkatha sat for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2020 at the age of 32 years and scored a B-.

On December 4, Nkatha achieved her dreams after she graduated as a Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse at Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Nyeri.  

It was, however, a long road to education and training for her.

Nkatha dropped out of secondary school for eight years due to a combination of factors, mainly low family income.

In 2006, Nkatha had all but given up on completing school at Kisima Mixed Secondary in Meru after her stepfather became violent towards her and her mother.

Her mother had to relocate with her to a friend's for safety.

Purity Nkatha, a 36 year old mother of an 11 year old sat the KCSE exams at 32 and finally graduates as a nurse. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Nkatha was forced to work in pubs in Malindi before a benefactor she encountered on Facebook, Irene Kendi, a gender activist, came to her aid.

“I got married in 2013 and had a baby in 2014. I went back to school in 2018 when Irene Kendi, whom I had never met in person, offered to pay my fees. Kendi was paying school fees while my husband paid fare and for basic needs,” she told The Standard.

Nkatha had ‘inboxed’ Ms Kendi after admiring the activist’s work.

 “When I saw her posing for photos with (former) President Uhuru Kenyatta, I thought it was worth a try, and I am happy she came through,” she reminisced.

And though she did not attain her aim, as she wanted to pursue an education or nursing degree at university, Nkatha soldiered on.

This, even though she has for a few years, battled with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a chronic autoimmune condition that drained the little money she had and her energy.

Nkatha said the SLE altered her life and affected her academic journey, which was getting some good momentum.

Purity Nkatha, a 36 year old mother of an 11 year old sat the KCSE exams at 32 and finally graduates as a nurse. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Attending high school and later KMTC required significant sacrifices, including leaving her four-year-old daughter (now 11) back at home.

“Joining KMTC rekindled my hope. I found a community that welcomed me, supported my aspirations, and believed in my potential even when my body felt like it was giving up,” she recollects.

Now graduated and looking for work, Nkatha says nursing school was challenging, especially because she was managing a chronic illness that tested her strength “in ways I never thought I could endure.”

“My treatment needs were beyond what my family could afford, and many moments felt impossible.”