Friday, March 20, 2015

My KF Journey- Margaret Ngoma

Margaret at Chalo Graduation 2014
My journey with the Kucetekela Foundation (KF) started in January 2010. I had been a child who loved school but hated competition due to the fear of being left behind and lack of confidence.

My name is Margaret Ngoma and I have been with KF for the past five years. After getting the highest marks in Grade 7 at my school, I believed a little more in myself. Once enrolled in the school, I had a goal set in my head to be the first all the time- or at least in the top two.

That worked very well, since I had topped my class throughout my Grade 8, topping the whole school on two separate occasions. For the three terms in Grade 8, I received 541, 568, and 540 marks.

Grade 9 came with its own pressures, and I was determined to continue with my goal of being the best two. It worked, except I was second for the two terms. Having been supplied with all the material and emotional support, I knew it was left to me to give results that showed that I appreciated the assistance given to me by KF. So, I worked hard.

My results came out and oh, was I happy! I had not only topped the class, but also broke my school’s record by scoring 531 marks out of 600. I was really happy with the overall 531 mark and impressed by my 99% score in history (which also made Chalo Trust School history).

Margaret 'modeling' at Chalo's Talent Show
Grade 10 continued on smoothly, with my goal of ‘top two’ still working out. Additionally, I received some awards for the first time. In addition to being awarded deputy head girl, I was crowned as Miss Chalo. The Miss Chalo award is given to a person who leads by example in all aspects, including academics, character, and overall involvement in extra-curricular activities. I was that person in 2012. I had been voted and appointed deputy headgirl- as the prefects and heads usually came from Grade 11.

My Grade 11 had its ups and downs, but I fought on and sadly my ‘top two’ goal was shaken, as I came out third in one of the terms. However, this did not discourage me. It was competition and so it encouraged me to work harder. With a change in the syllabi, there was need to utilize all the time I had. Here, I was voted and appointed headgirl of the school, among other awards like “most disciplined.”



Margaret and her family at graduation
My last year of secondary school moved quickly, and I was studying, revising, and getting help. I wrote my exams in October and November. My results came out and I performed the best at my school, graduating the first in my class in November 2014.

I delight in telling my story because its not about the ups or the downs, but its about the end result. I am proud to say that my conclusion is, after all, that I finished school at the top of my class in all of my national and international exams at Chalo Trust School. I am happy of my achievements and my awards, and I am glad that KF was there throughout. Currently, I am working as an intern in the KF office and taking Russian language classes to prepare for applying for Russian scholarships to study medicine. I am grateful for the opportunities provided to me by KF, and I thank God for his love.