Determination, resilience pay off for Garissa mother of four after scoring Grade B in KCSE

Faiza Muhumed Salah is a testament to resilience and determination after excelling against all odds in the 2024 KCSE exams.

The mother of four registered as a private candidate for the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) at Kheirat High at the Hagardera Refugee Camp in Garissa County and managed to score grade B.

Faiza previously sat for her KCSE in 2017 scoring a grade D that shattered her dream to become a clinical officer.

Taking care of her 3-month-old baby and nursing her mother who is mentally ill was a big challenge as she sat for her KCSE examination.

Resilience and determination define Faiza, 26, who hired three teachers for tuition at home as she prepared for the exams.

"I am proud to achieve a mean grade of B. It is a dream come true, since childhood I dreamt of becoming a clinical officer but unfortunately, my dream was shattered after I scored a grade D at Excel High School in Garissa town in 2017," she said.

In 2017, she remembered it was a challenging moment as the eldest in a family of five members taking care of her mother who was divorced and mentally ill.

"I was young and had to give much concentration to my ill mother, I had no time to read and prepare for the examination at home and after the 2017 KCSE examination was released, I was so disappointed to score a grade D that shattered my dream to become a clinical officer," she narrated.

Two years later Faiza said she got married to Abdirahman Siyat Dubat whom she described as a supportive husband who stood with her together with her maternal uncle.

She shared with them her ambition to register as a private candidate for better results that will make her dream true.

" I kept on postponing due to the challenging moments until 2024 when my younger sister was able to also help take care of my ailing mother. I decided to register as a private candidate at a school in Hagardera refugee camp since I could not secure a chance within Garissa town," she stated.

Just three months before the examination she gave birth to a baby boy and taking care of newly born was a big challenge during the examination, she recalls.

"I had to go with two girls who are my relatives to help me babysit as I sat for the exams. I never hesitated to make use of the shortest period I could chance to rush to my baby during the 2024 KCSE examination," she said.

Back home in Garissa town, Faiza was forced to rush to care for her ailing mother during the weekend describing it as one of her most challenging moments.

Faiza challenged all who attained a lower grade and were feeling their dream was destroyed to gather courage and determination and never give up.

She is now hoping to enrol for a clinical officer course this year at the Kenya Medical Training College.

Her husband Andirahman Siyat said he admires the strength and determination of his wife and promised to remain supportive for her to achieve her dreams.