T-OFF (ISSUE15) OCT - DEC 2019 | Page 16

JUNIOR GOLF My journey from Kangemi to New Jersey Members of Rose Naliaka Academy W hen Serah Khanyereri was ushered in to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Departures lounge on the evening of 22 nd August 2019, tears welled down her young cheeks. Tears of joy and disbelief. All that was unfolding before her was akin to a movie script. For a girl who had spent her entire life in the sprawling Kangemi slums, going to 16 the United States of America- the land of hope- had never been on her mind. But on this chilly evening, Serah was opening a new chapter in her rather modest life. She was heading to New Jersey to study at Raritan Valley Community College. For the next four years, Serah will be studying a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. Thanks to her prowess and promising talent on the golf course, through the Africa Golf Programme (formerly Rose Naliaka Academy) Serah has been awarded a full scholarship that will see her study at Raritan Valley Community College while at the same time play on the competitive US college golf circuit. It is a paradox that a small girl who grew up in a family that was