By Tony Wafula
Armed with love and a belief in the power of education, Our Lady of Mercy Chebukaka Girl’s Secondary School Senior Principal, Rose Berda, has given hope to the girl child.
As Kenya joined the world to celebrate the International Women’s Day, many women in the leadership and managerial spheres in the country were be celebrated for what they have achieved and done for the society.
Like always, people who have been in leadership positions are remembered for both negative and positive deeds.
This week, we feature Rose Berda, a school principal from Bungoma who has inspired many and transformed institutions with her good management and leadership skills.
In an exclusive Interview with Education News in her office on Tuesday, Berda said that she has been in the teaching fraternity for 29 years adding that she has been able to achieve, transform and inspire the lives of many girls.
Berda said that since she got a plum job with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), she says that she has paid fees for many girls purposely to ensure that they succeed in life to help their families back home.
“I think I was born with the heart of helping the needy, I have supported many girls whom some I even don’t know their parents. I admire to support more but I lack resources,” she noted.
However, Berda noted that for the four years she has served at Chebukaka High School, she has paid fees for the vulnerable girls, adding that in 2019 when she was handed over the school management, the population was at 687 students and has rose to 1,767.
To make Chebukaka a better place, she said that currently she is putting up three dormitories, nine classrooms, modern toilets, installing solar panels and pavements.
She also said that before she took over the school, Chebukaka used to secure 20 entries at the University but now she has improved to over 126.
Berda said that women and girls go through a lot of challenges saying that the only way to make their load lighter is to empower them with knowledge.
As the world celebrates International women’s day, Berda called on other women in both leadership and management positions to support and uplift young girls and show them the way to success.
“Any woman in the leadership position must come on board and support young girls rise to big positions because they are our future leaders,” she said, adding that women are powerful tools in any society.
