The struggles women face on the Path to Excellence: Overcoming Challenges and Rising Above

When life offers no choices, sometimes that is where true transformation begins. Nyaboke found herself in such a moment—a do-or-die situation where she had no option but to embrace whatever came her way. Nyaboke had completed high school a year earlier and had remained at home, waiting for an opportunity to pursue higher education. Her mother had promised to send her to college but had to prioritize her younger siblings' school fees due to financial constraints. As months passed, Nyaboke longed to leave her rural home and seek opportunities elsewhere, though she had no concrete plan. During a family gathering at her uncle's home in Kisii, Bobasi Subcounty, Nyacheki Ward, she met her aunt, Mongina, who lived in Mombasa. When Mongina casually asked if she would like to go with her, Nyaboke did not hesitate. She saw this as the perfect opportunity. Excited, she rushed to her mother. "Mother, I am going to Mombasa with Aunt Mongina!" she announced. Kwamboka, her mother, h...

In Kikuyu tradition, a man’s wealth was measured by the number of goats and sheep he owned. The wealthier a man was, the more wives he could marry. Njoroge was no exception. He had many goats and, as a result, married two wives: Wanjugu, his first wife, and Wamuyu, the second. In addition to livestock, a family with many daughters was also considered prosperous, as daughters could be married off to wealthy men who would pay a hefty dowry in goats. Though Wamuyu was young, her parents forced her to marry Njoroge because of his wealth. From his two marriages, Njoroge had thirteen children. Wanjugu bore him two: Muhia and Wamucii. Wamuyu, on the other hand, had eleven: Wanjiku, Waitherero, Watoro, Wairimu, Mumbi, Wacheke, Waheto, Nderitu, Wanjiru, Wambui, and Wanjira. Despite his wealth, Njoroge struggled to find a permanent home for his large family. He moved them from Murang'a to Kitale, then to Mt. Elgon, and finally to Machine village, where the government was selling land cheaply...