Anthony Owuor Okumu, 26, is an intern at Mama Lucy Hospital, Nairobi.
He works as a Clinical Officer at the Level 5 facility, and is a Bachelor of Science (Clinical Medicine) graduate from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
But as simple as this may sound, his career path was no walk in the park.
Anthony, from Kisumu County, is a beneficiary of the KenGen’s Education Scholarships Programme, and a former student at Wangapala Boys High School class of 2012. He was awarded a full university scholarship after attaining the necessary grade and requirements to qualify for a KenGen Education Scholarship.
READ: KenGen Education Scholarship Beneficiaries Graduate First Class.
While medicine may be the career of choice that parents push their children into pursuing for the status and the perks, Anthony knows it is not that easy. Not at all!
Many enroll for the course, but few make it to the end without dropping out or retaking classes. Yet, Anthony made it through the programme, sat for his final exams, and passed in 2018.
The last born in a family of four, Anthony was raised by a single parent in rural Kabondo Division. But in spite of his humble background, Anthony studied hard, beating the rest of his schoolmates to emerge tops in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations 2012 with an A (grade).
“I was both overjoyed and devastated with the results. Due to lack of funds, I had already planned to defer my first year of studies”, remembers Anthony.
However, all this changed when he got a phone call from KenGen that catapulted his life’s trajectory.
“I want to sincerely say that KenGen Foundation gave me the opportunity to successfully achieve what I had called a ‘foregone dream’”, he said during his first visit to KenGen since graduation.
KenGen’s commitment to education has supported over 700 students mainly from marginalized areas around its installations spread across the country. The Company has spent over Kshs. 600 million over the last 14 years in scholarships for secondary school and university students and in schools’ infrastructural developments in many parts of the country.
ALSO READ: 41 Students Awarded KenGen Education Scholarships as Curtains Close on 5th Annual Mentorship.
The mission of the KenGen Education Scholarships programme is to provide education opportunities and improve facilities to enable lifelong enrichment opportunities to students whose humble backgrounds may deny them a chance to realize their dreams.
“Today I can testify that through the philanthropic work of KenGen Foundation, I am able to harvest the fruits of hard work through the attainment of my desired education level”, said Anthony.
Anthony, keen in mentoring the current students enrolled in the Education Scholarship programme, has the following heartfelt message for KenGen and the Foundation:
“I want to say a big THANK YOU to the KenGen Family and the Foundation team for being selfless in serving us while we were in school and for stepping in our shoes in order to understand our needs. Thank you for working tirelessly to ensure we received the comfort necessary for our studies, may God bless you.”
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–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer