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The psychological and economic exertions of academic
pursuits in Kenya cannot be refuted. Although this is not a preserve of
developing countries, it is only fair to argue that it is more challenging to
attain higher education in an underdeveloped economy as opposed to a developed
one. It is likely that developed countries have put in place contingency
measures to facilitate learning and research work because they understand the
indisputable position of education in shaping human livelihoods. Developing
countries, thus, seem to have reneged on this responsibility or taken it for
granted.
In 2007 I missed a golden opportunity to relentless
chase a DAAD scholarship opportunity and probably learn from some of the best
institutions in the world. Blame this on personal error, a miscalculation on my
part or being misled by naive and immature love, but the truth is in a blink of
an eye I had lost the intellectual opening which would have economically
handled my educational prospects. As a result, I went back to my alma mater as
a prodigal son and begged to be taken back. At least I could pursue my costly
PhD programme at a manageable pace.
I don’t consider myself a bright student by any
measure. What I know is that growing up was decorated by financial upheavals
and my parents endlessly reminded me that my economic salvation lay with
education. It was a psychological and spiritual battle as my young mind strove
to make sense of a world of inequalities. I miraculously survived high school
and through the benevolence funds of HELB attained my BA degree from the
University of Nairobi. Never mind the fact that I am currently paying the last
of the instalments of that loan after almost fifteen years later.
At the time I finished my BA degree at least the
University of Nairobi had an educational programme for supporting first class
honours students to pursue their MA degrees. It is through this arrangement
that I attained by MA in Literature. I was not surprised that when I went back
to HELB for more funds to pursue my PhD I was turned down. I had never started
servicing my undergraduate degree loan! With a missed DAAD opportunity my last
fortress was the bank. I may not be able to enumerate the number of banks I
visited but one thing is clear about the credit system in the country. If you
are not permanently employed or into a business then there is no bank, worth
its name, that would transact business with you.
Somehow I enrolled for my PhD with scrapings from here
and there. When I essentially became a permanent employee of Daystar University
in 2010, after almost five years of part time teaching, I saw the door to cementing
my education. Because Daystar has no dependable financial kitty for higher
learning for its staff development programme, I took the riskier path and went
to the bank once more. My bitterness with an unforgiving economic environment
and a country without proper support mechanisms for education transformed me
into an introvert. I never even applied for study leave or reduced workload
from my employer. When you are a new employee you generously understand that
these are not your preserves.
The fact that I completed my PhD studies under duress
cannot be underscored. I empathise with all learners and academic enthusiasts
who have to contend with lack of educational structures of whatever kind in
their quest for knowledge. It is a herculean task that can’t and will never be
single-handedly managed. As a society, do we care about education? Do we
support those in need of it? My verdict is maybe we care but no we don’t
support those in need of education.
*This
article was earlier printed in Daystar Connect, a Daystar
University Publication. To purchase a copy, contact the Corporate Affairs
Department at pr@daystar.ac.ke.
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