A 13-year- old girl from Nyalenda slums in Kisumu who wanted to commit suicide over lack of school fees has been thrown a lifeline.

Two well-wishers — Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency Board chairman Erick Okeyo and Businessman Joshua Oron — have volunteered to pay for her secondary school fees.

The girl sat the 2019 KCPE exam at Xaverian Primary School and scored 391 marks.

She was admitted to Asumbi Girls High School in Homa Bay county.

She wrote a suicide letter after she realised that her parents could not afford fees for her secondary education.

Her mother Lucy Ombok was among the 3,000 traders who were recently evicted during the demolitions in Kisumu.

“Life has become very difficult. I am yet to get alternative space to do business,” she said.

Okeyo agreed to pay the full-year Form 1 fees of Sh53,554.

“As a parent, who understands the difficulty that the child was facing. I will pay her the fee for the whole year. The money will be ready this week. She will not fail to join the school,” Okeyo said.

He also appealed to other well-wishers to support the child by opening an education account for her.

“I have looked at her Standard 8 documents. She got three As and two A- (minus). “This is a bright child that cannot be left to suffer. She is among the leaders of tomorrow and will support other children in the future,” Okeyo said.

Oron has agreed to pay her full school fees from Form 1 to 4.

Oron, who is the Port Florence Community Hospitals director, also offered to provide the girl’s school requirements when joining Form 1.

“There is no need for a child to take away his or her life because of lack of school fees. As Port Florence Hospitals, we will pay her school fees for three years,” he said.

Oron said they have been supporting the education of many less fortunate children since they started the hospital business.

The Star/ Maurice Alal