Purity Who am I? My name is Purity Kinoti. I am a Kenyan lady aged 23. I have studied a degree in Education (English/ Literature) at the University of Eldoret, Kenya. I come from Merua county about 800 kilometers from Eldoret. I just completed my undergraduate studies last month and will hopefully be graduating in November. What about my background? I was born last in a family of five in Meru, Kenya. My parents were not learned and were local peasants. At the age of six, my parents separated and mom left us with dad. By then, our first born was in form three but she left school to help take care of the rest of us. My dad could also no longer raise her school fees partly
JUNE 2015
due to financial challenges and also because he used to take a little alcohol. As a result, none of my elder siblings managed to go beyond the elementary primary school level. At the age of 12, all my sisters got married and I was left at home with my dad and my brother. Life was difficult because I would prepare their meals before I leave for school in the morning and attend to all other household chores, being the only female in the homestead. After completing primary school, my dad enrolled me in the only Day Secondary School that had been just started because that was the much he could afford- and they also needed me around to help in household chores.