15-year-old Angela Wanjiru of Moi Forces Academy Lanet triumphs in Nation Media Group's national essay competition

Angela Wanjiru Karobia was taken by surprise when she won first place in the Nation Media Group's 2024 National Essay Competition, earning her a prize of Sh50,000 towards her school fees.

At just 15 years old, Wanjiru, a Form One student at Moi Forces Academy in Lanet, Bahati Sub-county, was the youngest of her competitors. To her delight, she even outshone older students from across the country.

"I never expected to come first as the only Form One student, especially with older students in the competition," she says with a smile.

Wanjiru has had a passion for English and writing since her primary school days. "I have always loved English and enjoyed writing compositions," she says.

In Grade 8, she became so engrossed in reading novels that her father became concerned about her lack of concentration on her schoolwork.

"I was reading novels all the time and my dad wasn't happy that I wasn't spending enough time studying," she laughs. Little did they know that her love of novels and writing would eventually lead her to win a national competition.

In September, Wanjiru entered the competition, writing essays for fun, with no expectation of winning. "I submitted the essays just for fun without thinking much about it," she recalls. To her surprise, her friend Kimberly Agutu told her that her name had appeared in the newspaper as the winner for the Rift Valley region.

Her excitement grew when she received a phone call from her father one Saturday with the exciting news that she had won the national competition.

Winning the competition was a significant milestone for Wanjiru and her family. "I really believe it was the grace of God," she says quietly.

Her parents were particularly proud, given the financial challenges the family had faced. "They were relieved. I was able to help pay my school fees and ease their burden," she explains.

"With my grandfather falling ill this year, I kept thinking that if I hadn't won, my parents would have struggled even more with school fees and medical bills. It felt good to be able to make a contribution."

Her winning essay, told a powerful fictional story of pain, loss and trust. The essay's narrative talked of a childhood trauma, stemming from a complicated relationship a child has with his father, who was imprisoned for the manslaughter of her mother.

"After being left in my sister's care one night, she had a heated argument with our older sister, who had left the house despite the storm. I stayed up waiting for her, but eventually fell asleep. Later I was awakened by the sound of my father returning from his time in prison. He brought the devastating news that my sister had been killed in a car accident. I couldn't trust him. Why should I?" read part of her essay.

Wanjiru acknowledges the support she has received from friends like Ashley Koko and Abbie Val, who have stood by her through difficult times.

"I had a tough time, but my friends were always there for me, supporting me and believing in me," she says. "I was so happy to be able to make them proud. My teacher, Mr David Waweru, also believed in me from the beginning. He always told me that I could win.

Her family - her older sister Hilda Wambui, who completed Form Four last year, and younger brother Jeremiah Irungu - shared in the excitement of her success. Despite her talent for writing, Wanjiru remains focused on pursuing a career in nursing, following in her parents' footsteps.

"My goal is to become a nurse. Although many people expect me to become a journalist because of my writing skills, I want to study nursing after Form Four so that I can support my family," she explains. "Writing will always be a passion, but nursing is what I want to do full-time."