My name is Victoria Muathime Mathei. I was born in Nairobi County but raised in Kitui County, both in Kenya. My parents had difficulties meeting our basic needs because they were peasant farmers making very little income. When time came for me to join high school, I reported to my school with just 6,000 Kenyan shillings while I was expected to pay about 30,000 Kenyan shillings! But by the grace of God, the school principal still admitted me.

So serious were my family’s financial challenges that, other than this initial amount, I never paid any other amount toward my school fees. As a result, I was sent home, but after some time I was called back to school. Strangely, this time the school principal declared a kind of amnesty, that any student who performed well in her studies should never be sent home for nonpayment of school fees.

This act touched my heart and I promised to give my best in my academic work. Regardless of this relief by the school principal, however, the huge school fees balances written besides my name still bothered me. Fortunately for me, during my second year in the school, the Founder of Charles Musyoka Matuku Foundation, who also happens to be my aunt, started paying my school fees. At the time, CMMF had not yet been officially registered, so she was doing this personally.

After the foundation was registered, I was accepted as its very first beneficiary. CMMF therefore started paying my high school fees until I completed my fourth year. This lifted a huge burden from my parents’ shoulders. I passed my KCSE examination with a grade B and qualified to join Maseno University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics with IT. The foundation continued paying my school fees and catering for all my basic needs until I completed my university studies. This made my life easier during my campus years, and I would not have asked for more.

After I graduated, the foundation offered me a job as a Field Officer, and it has been such a pleasure giving back to the community. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity the foundation granted me, to have an education in my life. Without the foundation’s help, I would
have accomplished nothing.