A mother of four from Milembe village, Mautuma location in Lugari sub-county has stunned many after opting to pursue secondary education following her failed marriage to a 75-year-old man.
Pionze Rida, 27, has lived a life of misery since dropping out of school and getting married at a tender age of 16. However, she now hopes to turn the tide through education.
After quitting her marriage in 2022, Rida chose to go back to school where she sat for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education at Mahiga primary school and emerged as the second-best pupil with 316 marks.
Speaking to the media at her new school, St. Augustine Mlimani Mixed Day and Boarding in Lugari, Rida revealed that she was married to the septuagenarian but after much suffering, she decided to call it quits.
“I was married for 10 years. I went through thick and thin in the man’s hands. The man mistreated me so much. He couldn’t accord me the respect I deserved as a wife because I was not educated. That is why I have decided to go back to school to correct that," she said.
She revealed that she personally went to Mahiga primary school and pleaded with its teachers to allow her to sit in class with other pupils in 2021.
“I had stayed away from school for 10 years but when I did my first examination, I emerged the best. Later on, after sitting for the final examination, I passed with flying colours.
“Despite excelling, I couldn’t join form one due to lack of school fees. I was forced to go to Nairobi and search for a job to support my four children.
“However early this year, I changed my mind and decided I will be pursuing secondary school education,” she recounted adding that her area chief Pamela Kulali heard her plea for help through the media and decided to support her achieve her dreams.
She said the chief took care of her admission requirements, purchased her school uniform and paid her Form One school fees of Sh10, 000.
Just like Walt Disney said, “all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them”.
Rida who is now a Form One student is determined to reciprocate the chief’s support by working hard and ensuring her dream of becoming a dentist materializes.
Kulali, on her part, said she would support the lady to ensure she completes her secondary school education.
“Age does not matter. What matters is one’s desire to acquire education. This lady has shown interest in learning and I am ready to educate her so that she becomes an asset to the society,” she stated.
St. Augustine school Principal Fernandes Musi appreciated the lady’s thirst for education and assured her of the best learning environment.
He said he got touched by the lady’s zeal hence the decision to offer her a chance at the school despite her age adding that all the lady needs to succeed in her studies is discipline and hard work.
