"Hello, I am Vivian Aoko Owoko and this is my story. I come from a humble family where my dad was a carpenter and my mum a housewife. I am the younger of 2. My dad died when I was 5 years old, leaving us in the care of our grandmother. When I was in class 4, my mum suffered a severe stroke, which left her paralyzed and bedridden. She never walked again.
My sister and I were now living with my old grandma, who did all she could to carter for my mum, my sister and myself. When in class 8, my dear grandma passed away due to cancer, and we were left with no one to take care of us. My mum was taken in by her cousins, while I couldn't join high school despite my good marks for lack of finances. However, a concerned teacher at my primary school approached Mr. William Ohonde for assistance and we were introduced to the charity Teacher A Child Africa (TAC), who came to my rescue and gave me a 4-year full scholarship for high school. With this scholarship, I joined Nyamira Girls High school.
In form 2 I became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. After the delivery, TAC negotiated for me to go back to school and sponsored me until I sat for my secondary exam, scoring a B-.
I was given the chance to join The University of Nairobi in 2018 for a Bachelor of Education, but I couldn't make it far into the studies due to lack of finances. I eventually opted for marriage. Through the assistance of my husband, my elder sister and my aunt, I later joined and completed university. It was not an easy journey through university because during Corona we were required to study online from home, which required a lot of resources. My husband and I ventured into vegetable farming and charcoal selling to ensure the continuation of my education. During the journey, the responsibility of parenthood also grew, as we had two more children. But today, I can finally smile, having graduated on 15th December 2023.
I wish to thank the TAC family for picking me up from the garbage twice, rehabilitating me and showing me the pathway to excellence. I am now a proud mother of three and a wife of a wonderful man. Further, I have already secured an employment as a board of management teacher at Ogande Girls High School and will be teaching history and religious education."
Congratulations, Vivian, we are proud of you!
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