My name is Ismail, I attended Islamic Call Foundation (I.C.F) Primary School in Wajir where I scored 381 Marks in KCPE. (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education)

I am a 2nd born of 5 children and sadly my father is disabled and is a beggar in town. My mother has been bedridden for a long time now, she had a lump which was operated at a local hospital which became worse but we do not have money to take her to the National Hospital. My Father’s relatives were killed in a massacre when my father was younger so we do not have a close family nearby. Our 1st born sister is married to a pastoralist.

We live in a manyatta, we have two rooms, my mother sleeps in one and the rest of us in the other. My Father sleeps on a mat outside in the shed as my mother is not able to build a manyatta for him as is our custom.

To attend the Palmhouse Foundation Interview, a neighbor provided transport to interview centre in Garissa. I was glad to see a tarmac road on the way to the interview.

I hope to become a surgeon and provide for my family and community.