She spent nine years pursuing her first degree at Kenyatta University, joining in 2009 and graduating in 2015, primarily due to “missing marks.”
Wambere Migwi, who is self-funded and has lived with a physical disability since birth, has at times considered giving up while battling poor health and “intellectual disappointments.”
She reveals that spending nine years at university destroyed her physically and emotionally; if not for the support of her parents and several of the professors, she would have quit.
Ms. Migwi’s life is close to a miracle, as she was born with cerebral palsy and weighed a meager 1.1 kilograms. Born at six months, many had given up hope that she would survive.
It is a journey marked by emotional rollercoasters…emotional tornadoes and emotional upheaval…
A life of overt bigotry and cruel society.
Despite the obvious difficulties, the Secondary School teacher was forced to pursue formal education in order to reach the intellectual peak.
“Because of my condition, I was supposed to attend a special school, but my dad refused. “I was taken to a public school in Naivasha where I competed with my classmates who were able-bodied,” she recounts.
The father’s insistence exposed the girl to a world in which she had to live…
A cruel world with scant consideration for persons with various infirmities.
“I recall a teacher advising me to accept my condition because my dad insisted on placing me in an institution. “I cried my heart out that day,” she recalls of the adjustment.
Due to her condition, Ms. Migwi was a “slow writer” and was unable to complete her work on time, severely limiting her potential.
“I rarely completed my exams, but I always posted high marks. “My requests for additional time were routinely ignored by my teachers,” she says.
She says, “The stigma was at an all-time high, and some teachers were not helpful.”
She managed 482 marks and was admitted to Naivasha Girls High School despite a slew of setbacks. Another significant achievement for a student whose life alternated between hospital and school.
She notes, “Unfortunately, it was the same old narrative, stigmatisation was still rampant…”
In spite of the black shadow that hung over her life, she made “three fantastic pals” who accompanied her throughout her school years.
“The school life did not accommodate my condition. I was incredibly intelligent yet quite slow at writing, resulting in a lack of coordination. “The exam time was the same, which was quite inconvenient for me,” she says.
To add insult to injury, Ms. Migwi fell and injured her back while at school, severely impacting her academic work as she shuttled between the hospital and school while taking her KCSE exam.
She secured entrance to the university to pursue a degree in education with a grade of B-minus.
“Upon enrolling in university, I received a reprieve after receiving a letter from the Education, Resource, and Assessment Center describing my condition, and I was granted extra time to do my examinations,” she admits.
Her optimistic disposition was short-lived due to failing marks.
She recalls what transpired, stating, “During the course of earning my degree, some of my results were lost.”
“When I switched from a regular to a school-based approach of study, my marks plummeted, forcing me to spend another five years on campus,” she explains.
Continuing, “Before my marks were lost, I was in my final semester before graduating…”
Her parents were once again forced to dig deep into their finances to fund her education, but they never let her down.
Ms. Migwi continues, “They were incredibly helpful, and I was able to complete my degree.”
As a result of her condition, few employers were ready to give her a chance at employment.
She says, “For years, I’ve been attending therapy sessions at least three times each week, which potential employers believed could hinder my academic performance.”
She was able to obtain a teaching position with the Board of Management (BOM) in 2016, but she was let go in 2020 due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
“Until September 2021, when I was finally hired by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and posted to the Naivasha-based Magereza Academy, I was on the verge of giving up teaching career,” she says.
Having her back against the wall, the teacher’s life has not been easy, particularly on the social front.
She recalls an event in which her lover took her on a lunch date while the suitor’s parents were oblivious.
“They rejected me categorically in my presence on the grounds that I was likely to give birth to deformed children.” I was heartbroken. This was said directly to me,” she regretfully recalls.
To calm her nerves, she chose to stop the connection, but social discrimination and stigmatisation have again reared their ugly heads.
“Being rejected because of one’s condition is one of life’s most terrible lessons,” he acknowledges.
She has founded her own philanthropic organization, Wambere Migwi Foundation, through which she supports individuals with disabilities in regaining their footing in life.
She may publish motivational words on her platform as a reflection of her life journey.
In September 2020, she posted an N.r. Hart quotation. “We do not choose who we love; rather, our spirits make that decision for us.”
In fact, for a very long time, discrimination and stigma have been two sides of the same coin. Reason being, we have viewed people with disabilities and children with disabilities as aliens. Everywhere we go, including the mall, church, restaurant, and other social settings.
Schools are not yet, so to speak, inclusive; yes, we have special schools, but they cannot fulfill the needs of the ever-increasing number of exceptional children, and integrated schools are so few and expensive.
She states that the mission of her charity is to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, particularly cerebral palsy. She has crisscrossed the entire country advocating for the “differently abled” after experiencing firsthand the difficulties they face.
She is now pursuing a Master’s degree and is hopeful about obtaining a Ph.D. in the near future.
Her perseverance has paid off, and she is unyielding.
