MUM STORIES: My mother inspires me

Vinither Mairura (left) with her mother during her graduation. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • My mother loved school and enrolled without her parents' consent.
  • Her father often pulled her out of school as back then women were viewed as sources of wealth.
  • She resolved to take all her children to school, even when she was criticised for educating girls.
  • Please follow the Twitter hashtag for more stories like this.

My mum has been and will remain a pillar in our family. Her name is Joyce Moraa Mairura.

She is a peasant farmer and the first wife to my father, who has two wives. I am her first born daughter in a family of seven – six daughters and one son.

My mother came from a very humble background in a typical traditional African family where girls’ education was not permitted.

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From her stories, it is clear that she wanted to go to school and even enrolled without her parents’ consent. They had the traditional perception that viewed women as a source of wealth through bride price.

My mother would often sneak to school but whenever her father found out she was in school, he would go for her.

This cat-and-mouse game continued until she eventually got bored and decided to get married. My father had gone to school up to ‘A levels’ and in those days he was viewed as a very learned person. 

He later met a woman who had also gone to school and married her as the second wife and this, as it usually happens, brought friction in the home.

LOVE FOR EDUCATION

My mother’s love and desire for education made her resolve to take all her children to school. She inspires me to date.

I remember that whenever we closed school for the holidays, my mother would take my report form and study it.

And despite me being a top performer, and sometimes scoring as high as 92 percent in maths, she would still ask where I was when other students were being taught the sections I got wrong that would have made me get 100 percent.

Her questions motivated me to put more effort in my studies.

My mum struggled almost single-handedly to educate my siblings and I. She was even criticised for educating girls as people said they would get married and leave her in poverty.

When I completed my college education and got a job, I began helping her to pay college fees for my siblings.

We thank God that the family is now at a better level. I thank God for my mum, and pray that God gives her more years to live here on earth to enjoy the fruits of our labour.

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