Beginning with the 2011 academic year, a group of my friends and family began sponsoring one of my former students (Haron Kimathi) from when I was a teacher at Athiru Gaiti Secondary school in Kenya. The following is a letter he wrote us in appreciation for our help and to inform us about life at Chuka University College.
Chuka University College,
P.O Box 109 (60400),
Chuka.
May 29, 2012.
Hello! How are you doing? How are your friends and family? It’s my hope that all
is well. I’m doing well too here at the university and more to that, my studies are
going on well.
The main reason of this letter is to let you and your friends know that you
have played a very important role in changing my life. In fact when I met you
at Athiru Gaiti secondary school as a Peace Corps volunteer, I had lost hope in
life, particularly in academics. I couldn’t believe whether my academics dreams
and ambitions could one day come true. Not until I met you that you revived
my academic dreams. It’s my pleasure therefore to take this opportunity to
thank you and other sponsors (present and future) for this great golden chance
you have offered me. It’s through your support that I’ve been able to join the
university. It’s true that you are straining your pockets to raise my fees which
require large sum of money. You are also denying yourselves a lot of things only
to help me.
My family and I always remember you in prayers and we pray for God’s
grace, peace, happiness and prosperity in everything you do. May God also grant
you long healthy life. In my studies I promise to work hard and smart and above
all uphold high level of discipline as I have always been so as not to let you
down.
At the university I’ve been introduced to various new topics of study.
Some are so much interesting while others are a bit challenging. For instance
in my first semester I had nine (9) units of study for example psychology,
communication skill, literary criticism and many others. Psychology is so much
interesting and very important as it tries to identify and provide solution to the
problems that teachers encounter as they teach and interact with the students.
It also explains the behavior of children at different stages of their growth and
development. This has been of great help to me as a teacher in handling my
students irrespective of their character, behavior and abilities while teaching.
“Communication skills” is a unit that deals with how to access information
from different sources and how to effectively deliver such information to different
social classes and those of concern, with great efficiency. It has helped me
learn how to socialize and interact with students in and out of the class as well
as to the general public. Literature as well has helped me build my vocabulary.
It requires a lot of reading. Every semester one has to read, interpret and
analyze at least two books; a play and a novel. In general this has equipped me
with knowledge and skills in interpreting, analyzing and criticizing the work of
arts. “English language” is also not left out in the group. It involves phonetics
and phonology.
Studying language and linguistics has made me knowledgeable in English
language. This will help me deliver quality services to my students.
Over the weekdays, I usually start my day at 05:00 hr by attending
morning prayers and retire to bed at approximately 21:00 hr when I’m done with
my day’s activities. Morning prayers take one hour after which I get to my room
to prepare for the lectures of the day. Most of my lectures start at 07:00 hrs. The
number of lectures that I attend varies each day and the units also vary in their
credit factor. Most of the time when I’m not having any lecture, I spend my time
in the library trying to read more and do assignments as well as carry out other
co-curricular activities. Most of my classmates and course-mates are serious
people, who are working very hard academically. I am a karateka (shotokan
karate style) and a footballer too. I’m an interim chair of the shotokan karate
club of Chuka University College and a member of the Christian Union choir.
These activities help me remain spiritually and physically fit.
Chuka University College is a public institution established on 27 th Sep
2004 by Egerton university council. It’s situated approximately 186 Km from
Nairobi along Nairobi-Meru highway. The establishment of the college has
a prophetic history i.e. foretold by a famous philanthropist; Jerusha kanyua
who said “A mountain would come up at Ndagani”, the actual location of the
University. The university was developed 58 years later hence her vision came
true.
Finally, having been offered an opportunity to realize my academic
dreams and ambitions by you and your friends, I’ll try all my best to be
successful and change the living standards of my family and the community
according to my ability. I’ll ensure that all those behind me get access to
education through ensuring that all the requirements are available. Secondly, I
will make proper use of the knowledge and skills I’ve gained to provide quality
services to my students and above all, join hands with other well wishers
in changing the lives of less fortunate children in the society. Doing this,
will be the only way of expressing my gratitude to you for transforming my life.
May you live long to extend your great help, not only to me but also to others
with similar and/or related problems as mine.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU, YOUR
FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
Yours faithfully,
Haron kimathi
No comments:
Post a Comment