Nairobi News

In January 2020, Levis Otieno captured hearts nationwide when he reported to Kanga High School in Migori County for Form One admission with just two bars of soap in his metal box.

The poignant images of him standing beside the open box, alongside his mother Monica Atieno cradling her then five-month-old baby, spread across the internet, reflecting their financial struggles and determination.

Levis, wearing an oversized sweater borrowed from his elder sibling, had traveled from Kanjira village in North Karachuonyo to Kanga, Rongo Constituency, with a singular mission – to secure admission into Form One against all odds.

The soap and the metal box represented the extent of his family’s financial capacity, in stark contrast to other students who carried blankets, mattresses, decent clothes, and luxuries in their boxes.

Ms Atieno cited financial challenges, exacerbated by the theft of her fishing gear and delayed payments for her daughters’ university education, as the reasons for their limited resources.

“I had also applied for a loan to educate two of my daughters at the university then but due to delayed payment, the finance company sent auctioneers to my home to collect valuable assets,” she said.

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Against all expectations, Levis not only defied the odds but emerged as one of the top candidates in his school in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, scoring a remarkable B+ with 70 points.

This outstanding achievement opened new doors for Levis as Moringa School, in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, offered him a full scholarship to study computer engineering.

Officials from the institution led by the head of partnership Steve Biko Ochieng visited his home to prepare him for the next journey in education.

“We deemed it fit to offer Levis a full scholarship. This is possible through our partnership with MasterCard Foundation,” Mr Ochieng said.

The institution is now seeking additional support for him, including a laptop, smartphone, and internet connection.

Levis has aspirations of becoming a software engineer and intends to create technological solutions to benefit his community.

One of his envisioned projects includes developing software to guide farmers on best farming practices, addressing challenges posed by unpredictable weather patterns.

While in school, Levis got an A in computer studies. This boosted his morale by studying software engineering.

“I have always loved technology because it changes everyday and people are in need of technological advances that help them make tasks simple,” Levis said.

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Levis has already thought of some of the technological solutions he intends to come up with after the training.

He said he looks forward to creating software that will guide farmers on best farming practices. He said most people in his village are farmers and they depend on rain to grow crops.

However, climate change makes it difficult for farmers to predict weather.

Levis said he intends to solve this challenge.

“My vision is to see all farmers getting profit from what they plant. It saddens me when I see crops fail because of delayed rain or prolonged sunshine,” the learner said.

His aspirations of becoming a software engineer will soon be released after Moringa School offered him a full scholarship to study computer engineering.

“He has an option of either studying remotely through online classes or he can attend physical classes in Nairobi. We however call for more support from other organisations to ensure he achieves his dream,” Mr Ochieng said.

Should he study remotely, he will be required to identify a local school in his village where he will get space to attend online lessons.

Levis is expected to undertake accelerated lessons for six months and build his engineering portfolio.

Originally, the course takes four years but Moringa School has compressed it to a six months period with classes expected to begin on February 26.

This will be an advantage to Levis who will be learning as he waits to join university later in September.

Mr Ochieng said the student will be introduced to a paid internship programme after the training where he will be paid at the end of the month as he broadens his skills.

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The funds will help him pay university fees.

His journey, from an image of two bars of soap to pursuing a career in software engineering, resonated with many who rallied to support him.

The funds raised enabled him to clear his fees and acquire the necessary academic materials.

Despite Levis’s success, his mother continues to face financial challenges.

Ms Atieno said one of her daughters is at the University of Nairobi.

The other graduated from Masinde Muliro University where she was studying health management records but she is yet to get employed.

“I currently support my family by doing manual labour in neighbours homes. I dropped out of school in Class Eight and have no stable income,” the mother said.