Judith Akoth is the epitome of the saying that age is just a number.
At the age of 39, she will be joining the coveted nursing profession as a graduate of the Kenya Medical Training College Siaya Campus.
This is her journey as told by WoK:
Adversity
From the moment she was ushered into the world in October 1984, adversity welcomed her with open arms.
Judith´s problems started at the age of 7 when she lost her father.
At 10, she became a total orphan when her mother died and she was left under the care of her maternal grandparents.
Despite these heartbreaking losses, she excelled academically, securing the third position in the 1998 KCPE exams.
Due to financial constraints, she moved from one day school to the other, eventually sitting her KCSE exams in 2002 and clinching a commendable B minus.
Adversity knocked again when her diabetic grandmother passed away and because she had nowhere to go, Judith was forced into an early marriage at the age of 18.
However, amidst the hardships, a glimmer of hope emerged in 2019.
While caring for her sick aunt, a kind-hearted individual recognized her potential, seeing not an impoverished girl but a future nurse.
Encouraged by this affirmation, Judith joined the Kenya Medical Training College Siaya Campus in March 2020.
But the journey was not easy. She encountered resistance from her family and even suffered from an ankle injury early this year.
Two months away from graduating from her final exams, she received the devastating news that her husband had passed away.
At that time, she was completing her attachment.
The world seemed to crumble around her, but she refused to give up. Posting on her LinkedIn profile, she presented her testament that she was the strength of a determined heart.
Through her experience, she says she has learned that age is just a number. At 39, she has earned her diploma, and she says that her journey doesn’t end there.
Her message to every woman is to persevere in their dreams regardless of obstacles.
She says that by working together, it’s possible to change negative societal perceptions about the Kenya Medical Training College, which has on several occasions made headlines for the wrong reasons.
For instance, in September this year, Daily Nation ran an article about how the institution had turned away several students who had been placed there for various courses, alleging that they were not qualified for the programs they were pursuing.
Over 40 students were turned away despite the fact that they had been placed at the institution by the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
Some, like Ann Mumbi, who had reported to KMTC Nairobi campus, were frustrated when they were told they did not meet the standards although they had already paid for the courses and had began preparing for classes.
Some of the requirements needed to join KMTC are that one must have attained at least a C- in the Kenya Certificate examinations and that one must be at least 18 years old.
