For nearly a decade, Elizabeth Akirapa has held on to one dream: standing before a classroom full of Kenyan children as a teacher employed by the public service.
But as the years have passed, that dream has remained just out of reach.
Akirapa, a trained P1 teacher from Angaro in Teso North Constituency, Busia County, has now made an emotional appeal to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to consider her for employment before she reaches the mandatory retirement age.
Since completing her professional training and obtaining the qualifications required to teach, Akirapa says she has been waiting for an opportunity to join the public teaching service.
Her wait dates back to 2017.
Year after year, she has remained hopeful that her name would eventually appear among those selected for recruitment. Yet, despite her qualifications, the opportunity has continued to elude her.
Now, with her recruitment window gradually narrowing as she approaches retirement age, her family and well-wishers are stepping up efforts to have her story heard by the relevant authorities.
Akirapa’s journey to becoming a teacher has been anything but easy.
She lost both of her parents at a young age and grew up as a total orphan. Without the support many children take for granted, she had to navigate the challenges of life while pursuing her education.
Despite the hardships, she refused to allow her circumstances to determine her future.
She persevered through school, completed her teacher training and eventually earned the qualifications needed to pursue her dream of becoming a primary school teacher.
Her determination has remained strong even after years of waiting for employment.
Today, Akirapa is married and continues to hope that she will still get an opportunity to serve Kenyan learners using the skills and knowledge she acquired through years of education and professional training.
Her appeal comes against the backdrop of teacher recruitment by the TSC, which is carried out according to available vacancies and applicable recruitment requirements.
Akirapa is not asking for special treatment, but for an opportunity to have her qualifications considered whenever a suitable opening becomes available.
“I have waited for many years, and I still believe I can make a difference in the lives of learners,” she said.
For her, securing a teaching position would mean much more than simply getting a job.
It would represent the culmination of a journey that began in childhood, when she lost her parents but chose to continue pursuing education despite the obstacles surrounding her.
It would also give her an opportunity to finally put her professional training into practice and contribute to the education of children in Kenya.
Her family and well-wishers are now appealing to relevant authorities to consider her situation, particularly as she draws closer to the age beyond which recruitment into the teaching service may no longer be possible.
After waiting since 2017, Akirapa remains hopeful.
Her story is a reminder of the thousands of trained professionals who continue waiting for opportunities to serve in their chosen careers.
For Akirapa, the classroom dream has not disappeared.
She is simply asking for one opportunity to prove that the years of sacrifice, perseverance and professional preparation were not in vain.
