Meet Purity Ngina: Failed Her KCPE But Is Now Kenya’s Youngest PhD Holder In Mathematics

Meet Purity Ngina: Failed Her KCPE But Is Now Kenya’s Youngest PhD Holder In Mathematics

The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results were released less than two weeks ago. With the release, a majority of individuals in the country were unhappy with the results they scored. The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations ended yesterday, with reports that results will be released before Christmas. The candidates now wait for their ‘fate,’ with bated breath.
In the past, we have seen parents kill their children for dismal performance. But does life really depend on what you get, or does it depend on what you decide to do with it?
Here is Purity’s story…
Born in Mbiriri village in Nyeri County, Purity Ngina grew up with her elder brother and their single mother, a hardworking woman who was determined to see that they got an education.
She attended the local primary school, where she sat for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2002.
“I scored 235 marks out of 500 in my first attempt in KCPE. I re-sat the exam and managed to score 369 marks.”
She joined Tumu Tumu Girls’ High School in 2004, and scored a B+ mean grade KCSEexaminations in 2007. In 2009, she joined Egerton University to pursue a Bachelor of Education degree in Science.
With her mother being sickly, she often struggled financially.
“But I worked very hard. In first year I was the top female student in my faculty and the university gave me a partial scholarship. It was Sh16,000, but it meant so much to me and my family.”
In her second year, her outstanding performance earned her recognition.
“The University published my profile and picture in the Daily Nation during the Founder’s Day. My mother guarded the newspaper cutting as it was very dear to her.”
Master’s Degree
She graduated with First Class Honors in 2012, and the university gave her a full scholarship to pursue a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics in 2013.
“The scholarship took care of all my daily needs. I had to really work hard for it.”
In December 2015, she graduated with 78 points.
PhD Scholarship
January 2016 saw Purity come to Nairobi for the first time. She was following up on a call for applications for PhD scholarships by the German government, which was collaborating with Strathmore University.
“I wrote my proposal, a tedious process getting all the legal approvals before I finally sent it to Germany. To my surprise, it was accepted.”
Her proposal stood out as she sought to apply Mathematics to issues that affect our daily lives.
The scholarship paid her school fees and gave her a survival stipend. She went to Germany to present her papers and was given a research grant.
“I worked with professors in Germany and liked what I saw in the delivery of content in class. They do not just duplicate content, but rather show their students how to apply the knowledge that they have learnt in class.
Her thesis Mathematical modelling of In-vivo HIV Optimal Therapy Management was approved in 2018.
“With in-vivo modelling we try to model cells. We want to see the interaction and the relationship between body cells, the virus coming in and what we can do to solve it,” she explains.
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Advice
Having overcome all the obstacles that came her way, she advises parents and children that there is more to life than grades.
“As a parent, it is your responsibility to stand with your child. Every child has their potential.”
Source: The Daily Nation

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