Well-wishers raise money to assist needy learners join top Meru schools

Businessman Shuleiman Shahbal during LUP scholarship and bursary award ceremony at Tudor Pastoral Center Mombasa, on January 18, 2026. [George Ochieng, Standard]

It was a relief for Scholastica Waruona after listeners of a Meru language radio station paid her first-term school fees following the airing of her story.

“I was touched by her story because the mother has health issues and she has nobody to help her,” said Jamleck Mwanonthii Mwongera, the Muuga FM host who mobilised the listeners to contribute.

Waruona and Melvin Mutuma were on the verge of missing out on joining top schools in Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties for lack of school fees.

Mutuma and Waruona had done well and got admission letters to join Meru School and Materi Girls, some of the academic giants in the region, but coming from financially disadvantaged families, joining their preferred schools was uncertain.

But after learning of the students’ plight, locals raised the fees that set them on course to attaining their academic goals.

Mutuma, a former pupil at Gitoro Primary in North Imenti, needed over Sh53,000 to enable him to join Meru School, and the prospect of missing out on the opportunity distressed him and his mother, Mildred Mithika.

As a last resort, Mithika had mulled taking him to a day school since she could not raise fees for the national school.

But learning of the boy’s travails, Meru-based lawyer Joel Buria reached out to his friends and family and the group was able to raise Sh53,554 to cover his fees. A well-wisher also bought him necessities.

The advocate contributed Sh10,000, his father, Edward Buria, a cleric, contributed Sh20,000, and his sister, Joy, contributed Sh5,000.

Purity Wambui contributed Sh1,000 and bought beddings for the student.

“Education is an equaliser, and we should partner to assist needy boys and girls,” Buria said.

He said he was inspired to assist Mutuma owing to his academic performance and his spirit to do even better in high school.

“Melvin is such a lively young man, and he has assured me he will put all his efforts into studies,” the advocate said.

Waruona, 14, attained 54 points in the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment but was unable to join Chogoria Girls Senior School in Tharaka Nithi, where she was placed.

She had been forced to do menial jobs to support her mother, who suffers a health condition, and her younger brother.

“I had to do casual jobs to get some money to buy food for my mother,” said the girl from Ubarini village.

Faced with the prospect of dropping out of school, she walked nearly 10km to Materi Girls Centre, a Catholic Diocese-managed school, and appealed to be admitted to Grade 10.

“I worked on farms to get some money for food and fees for myself, my mother and my brother. Now I am relieved I am joining boarding school, but I don’t know how they will cope without me,” she said.

The girl is appealing to well-wishers to help her raise school fees and expenses and to support her mother and brother back home.

Materi Girls’ Centre Director Sebastian Mbae said they were touched by her story and gave her an opportunity to study there, even though she had no money and the required personal items.

“This school is founded on the principles of Christianity and empowerment of girls, and we are happy that well-wishers are showing interest in supporting her education,” Mbae stated.