Gladys handled the position with grace and humility. Her sunny disposition and optimistic outlook charmed the teachers and students alike. St. Monica’s had an extremely successful year under her leadership. There were few discipline problems and in the all important measure of a school’s success, our KCSE exam scores were the highest we had ever achieved. The school administration feels that a large part of this success was due to Gladys’ leadership skills.
She is the youngest of 10 children. None of her older brothers and sisters has ever been to school. Her father died on the day of her birth. Her mother disappeared shortly thereafter. She reappeared when Gladys was 8 years old and was extremely sick. Gladys helped care for her mother until she died a few months later.
When Gladys was 9 years old she begin to attend school. Within five years she was able to complete the eight grades in primary school! Although it wasn’t a very good school, her score on the KCPE enabled her to attend St. Monica’s. The brother who is her guardian is a boda boda (bicycle taxi) driver. He barely earns enough to support his own family so the Ursaline Sisters (a group of nuns) paid her school fees. Gladys said that when she started at St. Monica’s her English skills were terrible. She worked extremely hard to improve those skills.
Because Gladys really had nowhere to live and no source of income, Madam Akech, our principal, asked Gladys to come and live at St. Monica’s. We have been trying to hire a school nurse for two years now. Due to the nurse shortage in Kenya, we have not been able to fill that position. In exchange for housing, Gladys has been asked to help out around the school. One of her responsibilities is to take students who are ill to the hospital for treatment and then supervise their treatment. As Gladys wants to be a nurse, she loves having this role. She wanted to go to nursing school, but has no way of obtaining the necessary fees.
My Kiswahali skills are terrible. I wish I was able to understand what my colleagues are saying when they chat in the staff room. It would be nice to be able to understand the words of the songs sung in church. A couple of months ago I got the idea to ask Gladys if she would be interested in tutoring me in Kiswahali. It would help me become more fluent and at the same time give her some income. We have been having lessons for a couple of months now. In my opinion it has worked out well for both of us.
There has been talk among the teachers that we as a staff need to try to help Gladys with her education. Although her marks on the KCSE aren’t outstanding, they are good. (That often happens to the head girl due to being taken away from their studies to attend to school matters.) The discussion has also included the idea that the teachers could pitch in some to help with some of her with fees.
John and I have always been impressed with Gladys. We attend Mass on the school compound every other week. She has always been so welcoming not just with the traditional handshake but also stopping to chat for a few minutes. Even during the school day she would often greet me. It always made me feel so welcome even when I was feeling that I was a stranger in a strange land. Our admiration has only increased as we have gotten to know her on a more personal level. We also want to help. So, we decided to use some of our mission account donations to help her obtain her nursing degree.
When I was telling my fellow missioners about Gladys they were able to offer advice and information that I needed to be able to help her. Kathy is a physicians’ attendant at St. Raphael’s Clinic in a slum in Kitale. She offered an attachment (internship) to Gladys at the clinic. I’m happy to report that Gladys started last week as the receptionist. When patients come to the clinic, she records their information, takes their blood pressure, pulse, weight, etc. While she is working there she will be able to see and assist with the work of nurses in a clinic, physicians’ attendants, midwives, and medical technicians (lab technician). It will be a great practical experience for her.
In the meantime, she is in the process of applying to the St. Elizabeth’s School of Nursing in Kakamega. If all goes well, she will be able to start in March. We pray for her success.
