Kakamega man who worked as a Wells Fargo security guard to graduate with a master’s degree

• Former Wells Fargo security guard David Barasa shared his journey from humble beginnings to earning a master’s degree
• Barasa, who worked as a security guard, studied at night and became a TSC teacher in 2007, making steady progress in his training
• As a father of six children, Barasa combined work, family and study, proving that perseverance and hard work pay off

A 46-year-old man from Navakholo in Kakamega Province has shared his life journey in search of education.

David Barasa Okumu told it TUKO.co.ke that he comes from a modest family; his father was a farmer.

However, he worked hard in his studies and scored 463 out of 700 points when he sat his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination in 1992.

This outstanding performance earned him admission to Ingotse High School in Butsotso, Kakamega.

Barasa says life in high school was not easy as he attended and dropped out of school because his parents struggled to pay his fees.

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Despite financial constraints, the bright man scored an average grade of B- after taking the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam.

“I did KCPE in 1992 and scored 463 marks out of 700. From there I went to Ingotse Boys High School, where my late father, a farmer, struggled to pay my school fees. I did KCSE in 1996 and scored B-,” he said.

Kakamega man becomes Wells Fargo security guard

The 46-year-old man noted that his father could not afford to take him to a tertiary educational institution.

As such, he was forced to get a job to make ends meet. Fortunately, he got a job as a trained teacher in one of the primary schools in his village.

“Since my father could not take me to a tertiary institution, I started teaching as an untrained teacher at a local school, where I was paid KSh700 monthly,” he said.

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His cousin convinced him to move to the capital for better employment opportunities, and they left.

“A cousin of mine convinced me to move to Nairobi in 1998 and look for work. “I worked at Supa Loaf Mini bakeries before getting another job at Wells Fargo security company as a security guard in 1999,” he stated.

Three years later, Barasa enrolled in a teacher training course and paid his fees with the money he earned from his job as a security guard.

“In 2002, when I was still working with Wells Fargo, I saw an advertisement from the International Teachers Training College in Kibera offering primary teacher training. So I started studying during the day and working as a security guard at night,” he explains.

He completed the course in 2004 and passed, but continued to work at Wells Fargo until becoming an elementary school teacher with the Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC) in 2007.

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He moved back home and taught at a school in Kakamega. By then, TSC paid him KSh 9,000 in basic salary, which he used to support his siblings through education and basic needs.

When did the Wells Fargo security guard show up on campus?

After educating his younger siblings, Okumu felt the responsibilities had become lighter and joined Mount Kenya University (MKU) to further his studies.

He completed the four years and graduated in 2016 with a second-class upper division, after which he immediately enrolled for his master’s degree.

“In 2012, I joined Mount Kenya University to pursue a combination of Bachelor of Education Arts, Geography and Business Studies. I graduated in the second year of upper secondary education, which gave me direct access to the master’s degree,” he explains.

The father-of-six said finances became a challenge again as he now had children to look after.

When is the MKU diploma?

Despite all that, the determined man has completed his education and will graduate from MKU on December 6, 2024.

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He obtained the master’s degrees in Education, Administration, Leadership and Management.

“With ups and downs, from 2016, I recently got my master’s degree because I have to feed and support a family. I will graduate this year in December,” he added.

The high school teacher said he is still committed to continuing his education until he earns his doctorate.

“If I get enough money, I will still enroll in a PhD and look for greener pastures. Maybe I’ll teach at a university or get a better paying job at TSC. Even with this milestone, I will try our local colleges to see if I can get a job,” he said.

He said his motivation comes from his former classmates who have graduated from school and are doing well.

“Education makes your life better; whatever someone gets in high school doesn’t mean he/she has failed in life; you can always get education regardless of the time,” he said.

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Samburu-man graduates with a master’s degree from MKU

In other news, TUKO.co.ke reported that an elderly man from Samburu was among the students who graduated from MKU in August.

Lawrence Lorien Ekru donned his graduation regalia and was asked to introduce himself and share his success.

He shared his inspiring story of earning a master’s degree and said he started at the diploma level.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke