For Sylvia Ouma, Hatua’s Finance Officer, receiving a Hatua scholarship was about putting her family first. It meant living her dream and lifting her family out of their challenging financial situation. Sylvia’s scholarship journey led her to become someone her family could rely on. We sat down with Sylvia to find out more about her scholarship journey, and what gives her joy as a Hatua alum.
What year did you join Hatua? Could you describe your journey?
I joined Hatua in 2010 when I was in Form 2 at Moi Forces Academy Mombasa in Likoni. Back then Hatua also picked students who had already joined high school but faced financial challenges. Hatua supported me all through high school and took care of my school fees when I joined the Technical University of Mombasa to study for a degree in commerce.
What was your family’s situation like when you joined Hatua?
My attendance in high school was on and off. I was raised by a single mother and most of the time she wasn’t able to raise enough money to cover my fees as well as my three siblings. Whenever the school bursar came to classrooms to identify students with fee arrears, my name was always there. I had even gotten used to it at some point. When Hatua came into the picture, that’s when my life turned around for the better.
That’s good to hear! Now as a Hatua scholar, you not only had your school fees paid for, you also attended mentoring sessions. Can you tell us more about that?
At the time Hatua’s mentoring sessions were not structured as they currently are. We used to go to the old office in Likoni on Sundays and get mentored on different topics every week such as leadership, how to handle peer pressure, and communication skills. It was actually very wide.
After you graduated from high school and started university, did you have a mentor? What was the experience like?
Yes, I was matched with Vivian Perose, a HR professional and motivational speaker, in the corporate field. Whenever she found time, she would take me along to her events. If I didn’t have any classes at the time, I would say yes. What I enjoyed the most from that time was listening to her motivate students. From her, I learned a lot about confidence and public speaking.
Hypothetically speaking, if you hadn’t received a Hatua scholarship, what would you be doing right now?
To be honest, I’m an optimist. I have always wanted to go to school, even though I knew that a time would probably come when my mother would no longer be able to financially support my education. But because I had a zeal to learn, I believed that there would always be a way.
That said, if it were not for Hatua, I don’t know if would have finished university by now, and I would definitely not have this opportunity to be the Finance Officer here. I think I would be hustling somewhere. But I have Hatua to thank for placing me in a position where I can help my family and raise our living standards. We used to live in a single-room house, which is hard to imagine for a family of five. When I graduated from university before I got my current job at Hatua, I took every opportunity no matter how small to earn some extra coin so that I could help my mother pay for food and necessities.
With time, we moved to a double-room and a little later, after I got my job at Hatua, we finally moved to a self-contained house. I’m actually the one who pays for the rent. It feels fulfilling. Right now I can do things like go buy shopping for my entire family and make sure that everything is taken care of at home.
Sylvia awarding a certificate of scholarship to one of our newest students at the 2022 Welcoming Ceremony in Likoni
Wow, that’s truly impressive! I hear you are also helping to support your sibling’s education?
Thank you! I am also happy that this year I will get the chance to pay it forward by contributing toward my younger brother’s school fees. I helped him apply for college through KUCCPS (The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service, an online portal that students use to apply for tertiary courses in Kenyan colleges and universities). He is in Nairobi now and his monthly upkeep depends on me. Whenever he lacks anything, he won’t call our mother, he will call me. I’m actually a young parent. [Laughs]
I joined a chama (table banking group) and started saving my monthly salary so that when he starts school later in the year I won’t be caught off-guard. I will also help him apply for a HELB loan to subsidize his college fees. All in all, I am happy to be able to take up this new responsibility.
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