This girls is an OVERCOMER!
Optimistic. Persistent. Determined.
On December 5, 2020 our Kenyan daughter graduated college!! We are incredibly proud of all
that she has overcome in life to reach this milestone!
She
has not let the circumstances she was born into define her. Growing up
in a rural village on Rusinga Island, she lost both of her parents by
the time she was 8 years old. She was wise beyond her years. At age 11,
she realized that if she remained attending her local village school
(where the teachers rarely showed up and there was little learning), she
would not receive a quality education and would not have opportunities
to attend secondary school. She wanted HOPE for a BETTER LIFE!
...
She was determined to create a better future for her life. Paul
Onundo and his wife took her in so that she could attend a better school in
Mbita. That gave her a second chance at her education. Which is a second
chance at life. Wow- thank you Paul and Mama Omondi... you have truly
made a lasting impact in Alicent's life!!!
...Focused. Determined. Persistent
That's just who she is in life.
...
Her talent stood out to Joe and she was invited to be one of the first Suba Lakers!
When
she was just 13 years old, she received the Best Player award at a
national Under 15 tournament. She was recruited to join Jera Secondary
School; known as one of the top girls football schools in the country!
We are so thankful for the coaching and mentoring of Coach Jacob Oganga. We always
knew Alicent was in good hands with Coach Oganga! Thanks coach!
...
In
2013 she tore her ACL in the Lake Region Football Championships. But
before she went out of the game, she scored a critical goal which helped
her team win the Championship and move on to the National Tournament.
She worked hard at her physical therapy to regain full strength and be
competitive on the football pitch again. She helped her team reach the
National Tournament again in 2014 as Team Captain. She overcame!
...
She
has a passion for football. During her gap year between high school and
college, she coached the team for the local secondary school near her
home and led the team to the finals at the sub-county tournament.
Once
she joined college, she quickly joined the women's football team. She
scored the goals to lead the team to win a championship in 2019.
---
But it's not all about football.
She
knew she needed a quality education in order to reach her goals and
contribute to her community. She wanted to pursue a career in the
medical industry.
With the financial
support of a number of people, she was able to attend Kenya Medical
Training Institute to get a Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics.
This
past January, while on her internship, she became gravely sick of
dysentery. She ended up in the hospital for 2 weeks, in critical
condition. By God's grace and mercy, He saw her through and helped her
recover. She overcame.
She had just barely
recovered from her illness, and even while she was still very weak, she
had to take her final exams and practicum. She passed. She overcame.
...
Then
COVID hit. She should have been able to graduate in March and start a
paid job. But COVID! After sitting idle with all the unknowns for a few
months, she was able to secure an unpaid internship at a private
hospital. Since she couldn't get her final graduation and degree
documents, she couldn't be paid for her work. She overcame. She
continued to volunteer. She overcame.
She is currently waiting (and studying) to take her national board exam while also volunteering at the Mbita Public Hosptial. We are praying and trusting the Lord for her to obtain a paid job.
We are confident that whatever challenges come her way throughout her life, she will continue to overcome with God's help. She will be successful in whatever she takes on!
---
More of Alicent's biography:
After Alicent’s father died when she was 4 years old, she lived for three years in Uganda with her maternal grandparents. In 2006 she returned to her paternal grandparents’ home on Rusinga Island to be with her sick mother. Not long after her return, her mother died. Alicent remained in Rusinga and was raised by one of her father’s other wives who has three children of her own that she is also caring for. The step-mother makes and sells charcoal to provide for the family needs. Alicent has a strong bond with her step-mother and her 80+ year old grandparents. She also has an older step-sister whom she is close with.
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