By Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA
Trinity Drileyo’s dream of becoming a medical doctor is slowly fading away due to lack of school fees to join senior five (S.5).
This is after she passed in first grade with aggregate 29 in last year’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination. Drileyo is the only student who has passed in first grade in the history of St. Peter’s Ajia secondary school (SS) in Ajia sub-county, Arua district.
Being an orphan after losing her father while still in primary school, Drileyo’s school life has been so miserable that the mother relied on subsistence farming to pay her school fees.
A born of nine from Ombizoku village in Ombokoro Parish, Ajia sub-county, Drileyo was the only child who managed to study up to S.4 as all her other siblings dropped out of school at primary level due to lack of support.
With school fees balance of over shs500,000, Ajia SS administration was kind enough to allow the 19-year-old Drileyo to sit for her UCE exams having realized a lot of potential in her.
As expected, to shine in a rural school, Drileyo got Credit 6 in English, Credit 6 in Christian Religious Education (CRE), Credit 3 in History, Credit 4 in Geography, Credit 3 in Mathematics, Distinction 2 in Agriculture, Credit 6 in Physics, Credit 5 in Chemistry, Credit 3 in Biology and Credit 3 in Commerce in the final exams sat at Arivu SS examination center.
Drileyo’s first choice ‘A’ Level school is Mvara SS where she intends to do BCM/IT in order to achieve her dream of becoming a medical doctor.
But the dream seems to be getting shattered because Drileyo’s mother can’t now afford to raise money to pay her ‘A’ Level school fees.
“My mother is now weak. She said it is now very difficult for her to raise the money required for me to join ‘A’ Level. I really wanted to go ahead with school because most of my age mates in the village have got married with children now, something I don’t want to do. My dream was to become a medical doctor but now I don’t know what to do,” Drileyo narrated to journalists with tears rolling down her cheeks early this week.
Drileyo was accompanied to Arua town by her CRE teacher, Fanuel Andima who expressed gratitude about her performance.
Andima said, aware that she was from a disadvantaged family, Drileyo worked hard in class with the help of teachers to achieve the good results.
“She actually sat for the final examinations when she still had school fees balance, but because we saw her potential, every time we could talk to her, counsel her, give her advice and at times when we are sending other students home because of school fees, we spare her due to her condition. Above all, she is a disciplined student,” Andima said.
“So, we thank God for this but now our worry is, she is coming from a poor background, she lost her father and now our worry is how will she go to ‘A’ Level. That is why we are appealing to people out side there that, if possible, they should help us so that this girl can study because she is just 19 years of age and a focused student,” Andima added.
It is for this reason that the community has started a fundraising drive on different social media platforms to ensure that Drileyo goes back to school.
“Dear friends, we are reaching out to you with a heartfelt appeal to support a deserving girl who has shown exceptional academic performance in the recent UCE despite facing immense challenges. She obtained a first grade from St. Peter’s Ajia SS and is determined to further her dreams by joining ‘A’ Level. Your financial and in-kind contributions, however small it is, shall make a significant difference in Trinity’s life. Kindly channel your support through Toko Ronald on 0782829096 or 0744280012. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and commitment to making a difference in an orphaned girl’s life,” reads the message circulating on various social media platforms.
