From hawking mangoes to Alliance: Boy's double luck in 48 hours
Eric Mumo Sila after admission to Alliance High School on Wednesday.
Luck has further smiled on the Kitengela boy who had failed to join high school due to lack of school fees despite scoring an impressive 417 marks.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Education ordered that Eric Mumo Sila, 14, be transferred from Oloolaiser High School in Ngong, Kajiado County -- where he had been sponsored to by well-wishers — to Alliance High School.
And in two days, the boy's life has been transformed from the hopelessness of hawking mangoes in the scorching sun in the dusty neighbourhoods of Kitengela, to life in two national schools – complete with different uniforms, courtesy of well-wishers.
All this while, his parents watched in admiration as a better life for their son unfolded before their eyes.
It all started last Saturday when the Nation published the sad story of Mumo from Kitengela’s Norkopir village.
Mumo scored 417 marks in the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams and was admitted to Oloolaiser High, a national school. Although he was required to report on February 6, he failed to do so because his parents could not raise the school fees.
Eric Mumo Sila is received by Alliance high school administration on Wednesday.
After Nation.Africa highlighted the boy's plight, help from well-wishers had streamed in by Tuesday, and he was admitted to the school.
Cover the boy's four years in school
Well-wishers from Kenya and abroad raised enough money to cover the boy's four years in high school.
However, on Tuesday, hours after the boy had been admitted to Oloolaiser High, the Ministry of Education intervened and ordered the boy to be cleared to join Alliance High School on Wednesday.
"We have clear directives from the ministry to ensure the boy reports to Alliance High School today. The ministry has secured a position for the bright boy in the prestigious school," said Isinya Sub-County District Education Officer Lolei Abduallahi.
The boy left Oloolaiser High School on Tuesday and spent the night at home.
He reported to Alliance on Wednesday, accompanied by the Isinya sub-county DEO and his parents.
"Alliance and Mang’u high schools have been my dream schools. It's like a wild dream to me. I promise to work extremely hard in my studies," Mumo said, beaming with joy.
His father, Mr John Sila, 40, on Wednesday told the Nation the change was fast and positive for his first-born and that had left his family baffled.
"On Monday, we left the boy at Oloolaiser high school, but on Tuesday, we received a call from the sub-county DEO to go and clear him in readiness to join Alliance High School today. God has opened the door for my son. A few weeks ago, I tried to access the school for enquiry without success," he recalled.
Semi-permanent house
When the Nation visited the family in their Norkopir semi-permanent house on Friday last week, Mumo was sitting on a jerry can outside the house reading a Standard Eight science textbook.
The mango stock sourced from Ukambani that he was to sell was said to have run out.
Eric Mumo Sila wrote his 2022 KCPE exams at Kitengela Air view education centre under a scholarship.
The family of five lives in a single room, courtesy of a well-wisher who decided to house them after learning about their predicament.
The room partitioned with a curtain has no electricity. A bulb powered by a small solar panel dimly lights the house.
The heat in the house under the scorching sun was unbearable. A few utensils were heaped in one corner. A packet of maize flour visible from a distance was only enough for some porridge.
The boy’s father, who was a labourer at a construction site, told the Nation he was unable to provide for his family considering he and his wife are grappling with a medical condition.
The family depends on well-wishers for food and other basic needs.
