Eric Senga

Success Story

Eric Senga never breastfed – his mother died while giving birth to Eric. He spent a part of his childhood alone with his father and his elder sister, Purity. All was well, until a time when he had just qualified from pre-school to join junior primary. He remembers vividly how he ran home to break the news to his father. On that evening, Purity returned home. Contrary to Eric’s performance she was fourth in her class. All the same both passed and their father was equally excited.
It was now December holiday, Eric and Purity were eagerly waiting for Christmas when unlike other years, their father had promised to host a big party. Christmas day came, and as planned there was going to be a party at home. On this day, Eric remembered a stereotyped anecdote which he recalled with amusement that his own clan ‘Ambua’ was said to be made of ridiculously generous men who would slaughter a bull and share out all the meat leaving nothing for themselves. They would happily raise up their arms to show to all and sundry that they had not hidden any meat in their armpits. But this time it was the exact opposite – the clansmen were so stingy that they would deny a dog an afterbirth of a she-goat.

And the party was nothing short of surprises, but for sure the Ambua clan’s spirit and tradition of generosity held nothing back. His father slaughtered a fattened ox, six rams and four goats. In the living room stood a long table spread with the most astounding array of food. There were large trays laden with huge chunks of boiled meat whose tantalizing aroma filled the room.

At noon, the spacious homestead was nearly full to capacity. As two young men began to sing in their light melodic voices, a procession of vehicles began to enter the compound. Everything came to a standstill as all the attention shifted to the unfolding scenario. Everyone stared silently at the magnificent vehicles wondering who the strangers were.

When the woman in the second decorated car alighted, Eric and Purity recognized her – it was their mother’s sister, Hellen. Immediately their father walked towards her, hugged her and directed her to go into the house.

It was around 3pm that the party exploded into a huge celebration. Everyone was dancing, including Eric, Purity and their father. It was at around 5pm that their father rose up to welcome esteemed guests. He then said, ‘Hellen, you have always been there for me, feel at home, you are the mother of my children. And to you Eric and Purity, Hellen is going to be your mother from today and you now have 3 siblings – Richard, Matthew and Brinnah. Confusion reigned supreme in their minds – feelings of anger, panic and helplessness alternated in their minds – their house was now occupied by new people whom their father seemed to value more.

Hellen who initially was an Auntie to Eric and Purity, and her three children who were cousins, now that relationship had changed to mother and siblings respectively.

In January 2011, Eric was set to join junior primary school while Purity was to join senior primary school. However according to their father his plans for their education had already changed. Their father did not provide school requirements like books as he used to, while their new mother cared less. Amidst the new hardships, Eric and Purity continued to excel in school as compared to their new siblings. Hellen became jealousy of them. Luckily some community members stepped in – Purity continued to study in high school educated by the area chief. She passed well in her high school examinations and went to study the Bachelor of Arts in Education in the famous University of Nairobi. At the university she continued to excel and graduated with a 1^st class degree.

In 2018, Eric completed his primary school – he excelled in position 2 in his class. He looked forward to joining the famous Makueni Boys Secondary School, but unfortunately his father (and step mother) were not as excited about the idea. When Eric went to his father to share these plans, his father told him that he would not join high school but be sold to a rich Maasai family as a house boy.

Those words broke Eric’s heart, “I am yearning for education and I would like to be a professor in future”, was his remorse response. Little did he know that plans were already underway for his sale.

On this fateful day, Hellen ordered all children to go and help their grandmother, who stayed in the neighbourhood, with her daily chores while Eric was told to remain behind to serve expected guests. It was exactly 10am when a car approached their house. A rich Maasai man, who he later learnt was called Mr. Muteri stepped out of the car clad in a suit. Together with three other men entered the house, served with tea and pancakes. Eric’s father then took it upon himself to introduce the guests to Eric…”this is my friend Mr. Muteri. He has come to pick you so that he takes you to his home in Milimani Nakuru where you will be their house boy”. “And please Eric always make your boss happy”, Hellen added.

Shocked as it was for Eric, after moments of silence, he raised his voice and screamed back, “you are stark mad if you think I am going to be your slave; I can only be your slave over my dead body. Yes, you and my father can kill me and carry my dead body into your home”. Mr. Muteri was stunned by those harsh words. He then replied, “do you want to go? If you want to be persuaded or pampered, sorry I will not do that. You may opt to go or not, but remember no one plays games with Mr. Muteri. Ask your father, he will tell you.”

Immediately Eric dashed to the door, screaming again sobbingly “you are stack mad”. Eric walked away and as he did so, he heard Mr. Muteri’s soft laughter behind him. Nevertheless, he continued to run down the rough road that led to the nearby town. When Eric neared the market, he slowed down and recollected his thoughts around the next plans. He remembered a kind man at a shop his father normally goes to. He approached the shop and since the shopkeeper knew Eric, hugged him with a warm smile. “My son, where are you going” the shopkeeper asked. “My father has sent me to pick a metallic school box, that he will come and pay for it tomorrow”, Eric lied. “No problem, which colour do you prefer, the blue one?”, the shopkeeper responded. When he opened the blue metallic box, it had tissue paper kept there. The shopkeeper agreed to leave it in the box and handed over the box to Eric.

As soon as Eric received the box, he began walking towards Kasikeu Boys High School, situated some miles away, carrying his box with tissue paper inside it. After about 5 hours, Eric arrived at the school. The gateman thought he was bringing someone to the school. Without asking many questions, he directed him to the office of the School Principal. Without fear, Eric proceeded directly to the School Principal, fell on his feet and sobbingly narrated the story how he had escaped from home as his parents wanted to sell him as a slave.

The School Principal listened to his story, counseled him and handed him over to the Head of the Science department, MsImmaculate to orient him around the school. She gave him two pairs of school uniform. He subsequently received everything he needed to be in school. “You can make it” MsImmaculate affirmed him. Ms. Immaculate took him up as her own son and always ensured that he had everything he needed to stay comfortably in school.

Later, the Principal invited Eric to his office to inform him that the area Member of Parliament (MP) had vowed to support him with school fees, which news was received with a lot of excitement. Eric continued excelling in schooling, breaking records and every one began praising him. Teachers and heads of department started taking him for benchmarking in other schools. It was in his second year, one afternoon as he was coming from lunch, he saw his home church pastor seated outside the Deputy Principal’s office. As it was a rush hour, he hurriedly greeted the pastor and ran to class. While in class, the deputy principal came and picked him. “Eric, your sister is very sick, and I have come to pick you. She is asking for you in the hospital”, the pastor said. “What is she suffering from?” Eric inquired. You will talk to her once we are in the hospital and she will explain everything, the pastor said. Just go and bring your bag as I sign the leave-out form, the Deputy Principal ordered Eric. Eric obliged and went with the pastor to the hospital. All of a sudden, the journey seemed to take a different direction and upon inquiry the pastor told him that they will pass home to change his clothes. As they drove towards home, Eric saw tents erected and millions of questions filled his mind – what has happened? Why is it that the pastor could come for him in school? Could there be anyone dead?

As the pastor parked, Eric saw men and women in groups and others sending strange gestures to Eric. “What has happened, pastor” Eric asked. “Your sister, Purity has gone to be with the Lord” the pastor replied. Those words broke his heart – he could not believe that his sister who had just completed university was now dead.

He remembers how he screamed in pain. “Pastor take me to my sister, I want to see her”, he requested. It was then that Eric was taken to the Funeral home to view the body of his beloved sister. It was the first time for Eric to ever get inside a mortuary…a very sad experience he still remembers to date.

They left the mortuary back home. Eric asked his father what had happened to Purity. “She is not the first one to die, stop asking me stupid questions” the father responded without any remorse. The grieving week passed, it was a Saturday when Purity was going to be laid to rest. Eric dressed in a black suit that the church had bought him. On that morning, Eric’s father and his step mother refused to accompany him to the mortuary. He instead with a church team but were denied entry to the mortuary by the attendant. His father had directed that he is the only person permitted to pick the body. It was at that point that his father called the priest and informed him that Purity will not buried in his compound. Eric, using the Priest’s phone, tried to convince his father to allow his sister to be buried at his compound but he refused.

It was then that Eric’s maternal grandmother was requested and she accepted and allowed Purity to be buried next to their mother’s grave. It was a 4-hour funeral service, full of tears and regrets – a young soul gone too fast.

The following day, Eric went back to school. Eric would cry everyday for the next 6 months, and one day his sister appeared to him in a dream holding a white handkerchief which she wiped his tears with. “You should never cry again, I am in a safe place,” she said.

The following year in August, Kenya was set for general elections. Unfortunately, the area MP was not re-elected for another term. This meant he could not continue financing Eric’s school fees, which scared Eric so much.

But as the saying goes, ‘when one door closes another opens’, Eric started praying to God to get some to support him in his studies. True to Eric’s prayer, God miraculously introduced him to a new friend, Brian Ssebunya from Uganda – Brian came as a friend but later became God-father. It was November when Eric was sent home for school fees. He used to go to his maternal grandmother’s home during holidays. One afternoon, Brian asked why Eric was home yet children were in school. After hearing Eric’s story, out of mercy and compassion, he agreed to clear his school fees for that school term. Eric was able to return to school and was able to sit for his 3^rd term examinations and qualified to join the next class.

During the holidays Eric explained his challenges to Brian who accepted to continue supporting him in school. “I remember Brian took me up as his son, paying my school fees, pocket money and paying the countless school trips” Eric said thankfully.

It was after high school,Eric was set to join St Paul’s University for his diploma studies in criminal justice studies and security management. Brian continued to pay for this course at university.

“I remember Brian would additionally pay for my rent as well as offering the fatherly love and encouragement whenever I felt any hardships”, Eric said tearfully. Eric completed his studies at St Paul’s University and emerged as the best student amongst hundreds of students at the university. Eric is now pursuing his Bachelor degree of Arts in Criminal Justice Studies and Security Management at the same university. “It is my prayer that God keeps Brian to see me prosper and become a successful person” Eric said tearfully.