I am Meo from Kenya. I was born 20 years ago in a small village in Nakuru.Nakuru is a small town with so many villages. I lived with my mom only and my seven siblimgs. My dad was not always available because he worked very far from where we lived while I was growing up, we lacked a part of the parental love that was similarly essential in our growing and development.

In a family of nine, I was lucky to go to nursery school because it was hard to find children from my village starting their education from Nursery. Many parents had this mentality, that Nursery was not paramount as one would pick up just from Primary level. After a year in Nursery school, I graduated and was promoted to primary school. All the time, as a child I was unhappy about one thing, I had a father but I  never had a chance to see him. I can't forget the painful memories when most of the children at my school would be picked up from school by their parents, and I would go home alone. The school was very far from my village and  I had to cross some busy roads in the outskirts of Nakuru town at a tender age of five years.

The sun smiled at me when mom took us to Voi; well this was a small town also located near the great Tsavo National Park. Here I was so happy because I found out that Dad was transferred to work here, and that I would get to see him often.It was in 1993 that I began my primary school in Voi.I was very happy because unlike the other years when I would go to school alone,  I went  to school with company. In the company were my two elder brothers, a sister and my good friend. School was  very far and we had to wake up very early at three in the morning, take our ablutions in the river which was just a stone’s throw distance away from our home. After that we’d study for an hour and leave for school at five in the morning. I was six years when I began my primary school.

God was with us because despite the fact that the village was located near Tsavo national Park, we never got attacked by the wild animals which had the tendency of escaping from the park in search of water and food. Sometimes we would come across  elephant’s dung which was a clear indication that the elephants were not far from us. Whenever I think about how God has been protecting us, I just go down on my knees and worship Him.

It was in this year that mom had another baby and it was our turn to name it. After a day my elder brother came up with ‘Collin Powell’ and we all agreed. So our baby was named after the chief of general staffs of the United States. I don’t really know where he got this name because where we lived, we only had a small radio that dad would listen whenever he came from work. Nobody was allowed to even touch it except mom and my elder brother. Dad was a very loving man but sometimes brutal. He never used to take alcohol or even smoke tobacco. He was a very good man because he ensured that we pray before we go to sleep and also in the morning before going to work. Waking up early for school wasn’t hard because we all slept in one room. See our house was only composed of a single room that was the sitting room, Kitchen and bedroom. The toilets and bathrooms were outside. We lived in workers quarters of Kenya railways. Those who worked with Kenya railways were given single room houses to live with their families. What was disgusting were the toilets, they were very few and a minimum of one hundred and twenty families were anticipated to use.

After two years in Voi, my father was transferred to Mombasa and left us back in Voi before he could get a house. On one occasion, he came and picked my elder two elder brothers, my sister, and my two younger brothers. Collin was very young and mom remained with him.  We were just the four of us left in Voi, which my mom Collin, my elder brother and me.

Just before Christmas, after closing school, Mom went to purchase some bananas in bulk which were to be sold in Mombasa. She left the two of us under the care of our neighbour. The neighbour wasn’t good to us as she did not give us enough food. What she used to do on the five days mom left us under her care, was giving us lunch only. Seeing that the food was not enough for us, we resulted in being street children for a whole month. We went to Voi town and decided to stay with other street children on the bus stage. We never came back home as we were anticipated to sleep in the house just the two of us.

Our parents began looking for us and luckily we were taken to Mombasa, where we continued schooling. Actually I normally feel like a bond existing between me and the street children. Whenever I see one, I don’t pass without talking to him or her and if I have some few coins, I give them. They became a part of me and though I cannot find the exact children I was with in the street, I have vowed to love the ones I will come across by helping them when I can.

I completed primary school and proceeded to high school. At least I got a chance of putting on shoes. What was funny is when mom bought me shoes, I just found myself putting them on wrong, the right shoe on the left feet and vice versa. I went to a boarding school which was the cheapest. Unlike other students who reported to school on time, I reported to school two months after the normal reporting time. Catching up with others was not easy. I didn’t like the school because it was very far from home and also due to the fact that I was the smallest as well as the youngest. There was bullying which was a great threat to me. Some big students forced me into calling them my dad and some went as far as giving me a shoe to use it as a phone and call my mom to send them some money.  There was no way you could report such l cases to the teachers unles you wanted to make enemies with the whole school.

I endured all this for just a period of time. When I returned from vacation in the last term of the year, I encountered some problems which made it difficult to stay in  school.  At this time a certain school near ours was burnt by students. So many students lost their lives and so far the case has never been solved . I couldn’t stay in school because I was fearing for my life.

I went home and stayed a whole term trying to get money to join another school, but a day school. I found my mom doing a new business. She cooked chapattis and porridge and beans. I helped herwith the cooking and taking it to where she sells the food. We managed to raise money and in the year 2002, I joined another school after passing the second year’s interview.

I studied hard and though I spent most of my time home instead of being in school I never threw in the cards. I had brothers who also needed money for school fees so the little money my mom made from her business was divided among us.

In the year 2004,when I was supposed to graduate from high school, another hindrance came which was very heart breaking. It was in February, the registration for the national exams was being carried out. I had what the Head teacher termed as “Huge school fee balance”. I wasn’t allowed to register for the exams, this meant that I had to rewind a class and do the exams the following year. This exams are very important and you cannot graduate without taking them.

God is good, I stayed at home for a year and then went to another school the following year. I registered for the exams with $ 40.00 USD. The exams are supposed to be done in October and November, so after I had registered, I stayed at home again because mom was sick and nobody was there to pay for my school fees.I studied hard for all those months and when the time came, I did my exams hoping and believing that I would pass. God heard my prayers because when the results were out, I didn’t passed as I had expected,  but my grade was good enough to go to college. I am now a voluntary worker at Sheepcare community centre.My day starts very early in the morning,at about 4 a.m..I have to pray first and then taking ablutions. Some minutes to six, I begin my journey to school.and the lessons start at 8 a.m and go until noon. After lunch I have classes until 4 p.m. then my day is over.After school, I don’t go home, instead I proceed to help in the computer project of our church. Here, I help in the cyber café administering and coaching. I have computer knowledge  even though I have never been in a computer class.God taught me computer because the moment I was given this opportunity, I found myself capable of doing great things on the computer.

I have faith in the Lord that I will one day go to college and become a doctor.I  have always wanted to become a doctor so that I can help those who have no money yet  are in need of medical care.I was inspired by my youngest brother Collin’s illness.Two years back when the boy became sick,we took him from hospital to hospital so that he could be treated.We couldn’t settle in one hospital because of their high pay.My brother was in great pain but each hospital that we went to no doctor was willing to treat him before the medication fee is paid.It seemed to me like all they cared for was money, not life.

I have come to learn that its good  to appreciate where you were born and the current situation facing you.Given a chance,one should utilize it to his / her best so that in future they should not lament saying "I wish I knew."We are lucky to be born in small villages here in Kenya.There are those who are still under traditions and culture.I have witnessed young girls being married off to very old people, destroying their opportunity for an education and hope.