It’s so amazing, an initiative that most parents take their children to school with the sole aim of making their future bright. What majority fail to understand is that the fact that they have send their children to school and paid fees, alongside providing their sons and daughters with basic needs is not just enough.
Parents must live to bear in mind that these children whether in primary schools, colleges and even universities have visions and besides get to understand that these visions cannot just be realized or come to be accomplished without dire help of those responsible. Mostly, parents, guardians, friends and even the politicians who might be in very good positions to save some innocent souls need to to commit themselves to the later. Most people have great visions, the most organizing part is that these people do not live to see their visions come to pass reason behind it being that there are not people amongst ourselves who are ready to steer us into realizing our visions. As if that is not all, the people surrounding us totally fail to support us in times of need even when they are well placed to come to our aid not knowing that ideas alone are just not being enough. Lots of assimilations of ideas especially from those in higher positions and experience need to walk with us for not just change but a better change.
Great leaders know that just sitting around and dreaming does not add one dime to the bottom…and so Mellab was not an exception in these.This is a young girl with sober and very great mind with a vision of pursuing a degree in medicine and become a Neurosurgeon. Mellab who lives with her family in a shanty in Livondo village, being the firstborn in a family of three with their mother Leonida who is a single parent understands so much that she is there to bring change to her family and even her village and entire country at large through her hard work.This makes this young lady to work tirelessly spending sleepless nights to realize her vision of becoming a neurosurgeon. Leonida Mellab’s mother though single, she is not incapacitated by her status and so being a business woman fights through thick and thin to ensure that her family and her three children mellab, micah and sherry do not lack anything basic. This single mother does all this with the hope that one day her daughter Mellab will be their savior.
It is now eight years and dear Malleb though learning in poorly structured building in the slum of Livondo village by the name Khalenje Primary emerges the best pupil, not only at the school level but also in their county. Her family gets thrilled with the spreading news about their daughter’s success. Unfortunately enough, Mellab’s mother does not live long to jubilate over her daughter greatness to come.She ails shortly, and when rushed to the nearby dispensary, she is diagnosed with heart failure and therefore Mellab and her two siblings remain orphaned throughout their entire lives.
Months have passed since the demise of Mellab’s mother, but for Mellab, all is not lost. She is optimistic and determined to achieve what she wants. Admissions are on all over and Mellab is lucky to receive an admission letter to join Bright Girls – one of the reknowned girls’ school in their county. The big question still remains, who is to stand with her and aid her to the next level of realizing her vision? Madam Ritah, former Mellab’s headmistress organizes and see to it that this little one secures admission in form one in this particular school. She does these for the whole year with the help of a few well wishers within the community, but all of a sudden this comes to a stand still when Madam Ritah eventually passes on on a grisly road accident. Mellab is deep in thoughts of whom is to take up the responsibility of funding her education once again. Fortunately enough, the following year she joins form two and due to the sterling performance especially in the science subjects, she gets a sponsor who manages to fund her school fees to the end of the third year. Fourth year is yet another struggle for Mellab. Being her final year, no one shows up to support her, the sponsorship now becomes history.
It is now January and every one is out with joy to usher in the awaited new year with lots of celebrations. Mellab, though orphaned, doesn’t hesitate to go back to her village and join her grandmother who resides with her two siblings in the celebrations. As soon as celebration come to a halt, there comes immediately the announcement of K.C.S.E results over the radio and Allas! Mellab is still the victor in their county with an aggregate of a plain of (83 points) this renders the air with happiness, songs and ullulations from every corner for a heroine in the land of Livondo and even to Bright fraternity for having produced the best student that year. Moreover, Mellab still walks with her dream of becoming a neurosurgeon. Her aunt who lives in a near by village gets to hear about these and requests Mellab to come with her to her house, Mellab heaves a sigh of relief not knowing what lies in stock for her. This young lady is overwhelmed knowing well that her aunt who is a retired principal within the neighbouring school will see her through her plan of accomplishing her mission and realize her vision by even ensuring that her niece gets her credentials in preparation for university admission that is underway.
Martha, Mellab’s aunt takes advantage of Mellab’s situation and instead of helping her get her particulars out of her former secondary school, employs Mellab in her kiosk to serve as an attendant with all her fame in the village. Mellab takes up the task though reluctantly, she has no alternative but to humble herself thinking that her problem will get solved. Within a short moment, there comes an admission letter from Kenyatta University inviting Mellab for the very course she has been dying for. “Aunty, Aunty, my prayer has been finally answered”, she utters to her aunt. Mmmh, nice my niece, very nice to hear that, but where do you think you will get all those sums of money to get you to Kenyattta University? Are you out of your senses? Mellab remains puzzled for a while with her tongue tied, utterlessly fixed in one spot. She does not want to believe what she has just heard.
Focused to get what she wants , she does not allow to burry her dream, she even pleads with her aunt to help her out with clearing her balance so that at least she gets her certificates,but to her surprise her aunt tells her that she does not have a penny to spend on her academic issues and that even the business she is running earns too title to upkeep her and her family. The young lady does not end her plea there. She manages book an appointment with the governor of her county to present her issue,and after a short conversation with him, she is lucky to get a mere thirty thousand which though she smiles upon receiving inform of a cheque, but she is torn apart whether to use the little cash to clear with her former school and get her certificates or use the money for admission to the University. As she does all this, deadline for admission that year is due. She is left to wonder if really her vision will one day be executed!!
One year has elapsed since Mellab’s admission into Kenyatta University failed. Nevertheless, she still whispers to herself that all is not lost. Still under the roof of her aunt, she toils still undecided whether to seek for re-admission in the university or forget about it. With the thirty thousand she received from the governor she decides to run a single business with half the cash atleast to be able to raise enough money to clear off the arreas in her former school and at the same time see to it that she does not miss out on second admission. Mellab’s psychology reminds her that vision without action is a day dream, and so she is out to act on her vision. It is not long before she gets yet a second admission letter to the university. This time she doesn’t sit back. She plans to travel to the university at least to present her problem to the administration may be to be heard. All she gets is nothing but to be told that she can not be admitted without her form four certificates as there will be no clear evidence to show that she was the best candidate as she claims. In addition, the adminstration notifies her that she must at least have half fees inclusive of admission fees for her admission to be valid.
Mellab walks out of the gates of Kenyatta University more confused without a clear solution to her problem. On reaching home, she explains the whole episode to her aunt but still her aunt insists that she should seek assistance elsewhere as her hands are still tied up on the whole issue. Surely is this not killing one’s dream, one’s intelligence and vision altogether? This young girl, now 22 years, is left to have a monologue within herself with many unanswered questions lingering in her mind. She still sees light at the end of the tunnel and decides to confront a member of parliament within her constituency.
She still believes that this time luck will befall her. To her surprise, this MP gives her a false and empty promise to follow up with the issue and get her helped. This being the very last chance that Mellab has to get herself admitted to the university, she is convinced that something good is about to come her way. Mellab finally gets the last letter for admission to the university and when she reminds the MP about the promise he had made, she is taken aback only to be informed that the MP is out of the country for an excursion which is to last for utmost three weeks. She waits in vain, and after the three weeks, when the MP arrives back, the truth is that he has done utterly nothing to follow up with Mellab’s issue.
Moreover, the third deadline knocks the door for Mellab to get admission to the university and this is how this young mind, who had an inspiration a dreamer who never realizes her dream just because she had an idea but because no one was there to help her ideas, that is how up to this day Mellab still lives a life full of bitterness, her certificates though presentable but useless. A cycle that begun with her aunt who precluded her success through to the MP. Surely our achievements should not in anyway be demeaned by blinkered leaders.
Truly I came to concure with Henry Ford, “Vision without execution is just a hallucination”.