At Moja Tu, we want our students to flourish in every aspect of their lives. But, even more importantly, we want them to be good people. We encourage them to live by three core virtues – generosity, integrity, and fearlessness – and we use every given opportunity to instill these values in our students. It’s always a joy to see our students put these virtues into practice and celebrate their efforts.
Recently, our university student Immaculate was involved in a motorcycle accident that left her immobile for some time. Tabitha, her close friend who is also sponsored by Moja Tu, stepped up and proved that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
“When Immaculate got into the accident, she called me first since she knows my number by heart. She had to use a bystander’s phone to call me since she lost hers in the accident. This person had rushed Immaculate to a nearby emergency clinic,” Tabitha, a second-year horticultural student, narrates.
Panicking, she rushed to the clinic, which was luckily not far from where she lived. She was saddened to see her friend in pain and grew anxious when the clinic informed her that Immaculate had to be referred to a bigger hospital. The clinic did not have the necessary equipment to conduct scans to determine the extent of the injury.
“Immaculate was writhing in pain, and I knew I had to act fast. Our worst fear was that she had internal bleeding. I had to put on a brave face and be strong for my friend, all while coordinating how we would reach the hospital in the shortest time possible. The night was approaching very fast, and the nearest referral hospital was 20 kilometers away. So I called one of Moja Tu’s program managers, who directed me to Thika Level Five Hospital,” she narrates.
They took a taxi and sped off towards their destination. Tabitha says this was the longest ride of her life. Of course, it didn’t help that she felt so helpless.
“We were at the hospital within no time, but we found a long line. I communicated this turn of events to the Kenyan office, and they liaised with another hospital to receive us. Things moved pretty fast here, and the scans were done almost immediately. Thankfully, Immaculate had no internal injuries. However, she had broken her right thumb and had soft tissue injuries in her knee. Her teeth were also shaking, and a dentist took care of that,” Tabitha explains.
It would be well into the when Tabitha was finally able to go home, exhausted but happy that her friend was not in any danger and that she was in good hands. Immaculate was admitted to the hospital for three days as the doctors monitored her situation, and Tabitha visited her each day. When she was finally discharged, Tabitha was by her side.
“Once back at the hostel, I had to juggle my schoolwork, house chores, and making sure Immaculate was comfortable enough for her to attend her lessons online,” Tabitha tells us. However, by the time of doing this interview, Immaculate was feeling much, much better.
“One thing I learned from the experience is to be calm when situations are at their worst and to be positive that things will be alright,” she shares.
Learn more about Tabitha…
What is your favorite part of your life?
It is knowing that I can be the best version of myself. It’s a work in progress, though.
What don’t people know about you?
I love getting to know everything, like a bit about politics, world news, health, agriculture, fashion, and so on. It becomes easy to talk to people and make them feel comfortable and safe, even if it’s at midnight.
Who was your hero growing up? And why?
While growing up, my mum was a housemaid, and every single day, I wanted to be like her employer. She was wealthy, intelligent, and generous. That vision fuels my motivation.
Who do you look up to?
I don’t have a name, but I have a clear picture of who I want to be: wise, intelligent, caring, generous, and elegant.