Student by day, hawker by night: Edna Kerubo at risk of dropping out after missing HELB loan

A 23-year-old medical student in Kisii is on the verge of dropping out of school due to crippling financial challenges as she tries to pursue her Orthopaedic and Trauma Medicine course.

The student, Edna Kerubo, has for months alternated between hawking along the streets of Kisii and the classroom in addition to menial jobs, all in a bid to keep her tertiary education dream alive.

Kerubo is among students who had hopes of a better future the moment she set foot in class to pursue her diploma in 2023, oblivious of what awaited her.

The student, who was brought up by her grandmother in Sombogo, Marani, would later be forced to defer her studies twice after failing to secure a HELB loan, which considerably dented her quest to remain in school.

In an attempt to deal with the problem, she resorted to hawking along the streets of Kisii at night and attending classes during the day.

The KMTC student kept busy as others slept at night. Braving the cold nights and at great risk to herself, she keeps returning to the street to earn some money hawking.

KMTC Principal Daniel Onsate says: “She is a bright lady but with lots of challenges. Currently, she has a balance of over Ksh.131,000, but we are concerned with the nature of job she does at night, hawking food along the streets.”

“Mimi hapa ndio ninatoka (Nyakeiri village)…hakuna matumaini kabisa, nimekuwa nikisurvive kwa mashamba ya watu na hawking lakini si rahisi kubalance kufanya kazi na kuenda class,” narrates Kerubo.

At home, the orphan has a quarter-acre of land where she grows farm produce to supplement her business.

“Kwa sasa hivi sina pesa. Huku nyumbani nimepanda mboga na napier grass,” she says.

Her grandmother Elmelda Moraa adds: “Tumeteseka naye sana, unaona hapa nyumbani hakuna kitu kabisa.”

“This is very dehumanizing, and she has been persevering to find someone to help her,” Mr. Onsate notes.

Kerubo currently clings onto hope that doors will open to enable her to resume classes for the second year of her program.

Despite going through extremes in pursuit of her education, she remains upbeat that someday she will be able to finish her course in a bid to change where she comes from.