Woman hopes to meet her father after 23 years

23 year Gloriah Achieng’ Akinyi popularly known

as 'Nyaseme' when she visited the Nation offices in

Nakuru to tell her story. She is appealing for help to

find her father whom she has never met since she

was born. PHOTO/CHEBET CAROLINE.  NATION

In Summary

• The look on her face is enough to explain the expectation she has, this time to meet a father she has never known since she was born.
• Her efforts to inquire from her relatives about her father have been futile as none of them really knew the exact place he came from.
• Gloria appeals to whoever has information that might lead her to him to help her trace him.
• She also hopes his father might come across this story and get in touch with her.

By CHEBET CAROLIN

Her desire to meet her father after frantic efforts turning futile finally led 23 year Gloriah Achieng’ Akinyi to visit Nation offices in Nakuru.

The look on her face is enough to explain the expectation she has, this time to meet a father she has never known since she was born.

She can only imagine how he looks like from the stories she hears from her aunties and uncles.

Nyaseme’ (a girl from Seme) as she is popularly known by her uncles partly gives her a clue as to where her father’s rural home place could be.

According to Gloriah, her parents met in Eldoret where her late mother Ms Julie Akinyi Okia was working as a secretary at a law firm and her father worked at Moi University.

WENT ABROAD

But according to her aunt, she says, her father later left the country for further studies abroad, a situation which led to their separation since they were not married.

“I am told that my mother adamantly refused to go to Seme because they were not married at the time and that my dad was leaving the country”, Gloriah said during the interview.

But before her father, who was only known by Gloriah’s uncle as Ochieng’ left the country, he said that the then unborn baby would be named Gloriah.

MOTHER DIED

But five years later, after Gloriah was born, her mother, Julie died leaving her in the care of her grandmother who lives in Subukia, Nakuru County where she schooled up to form four.

Gloriah, however retained her nickname ‘Nyaseme’, a constant reminder of her father’s rural home.

“I always loved the name; it gave me an essence that my relatives knew that I had a home somewhere and that even though my mother was not alive, I had a father from Seme”, She said.

And although Gloriah was loved by her relatives, she always felt very lonely given that she was an only child and had no parents around her.

“All along, I always felt lonely without a family given the fact that I was an only child to my mother. But deep inside, I knew I had a father who knew me and loved me as Gloriah,” she said.

EFFORTS FUTILE

Her efforts to inquire from her relatives about her father have however been futile since none of them really knew the exact place he came from while others felt that she should go on with her life.

At one time a friend advised her to visit the immigration department to ask for the files of the people who left the country during the time her father left but it was both a hectic and almost impossible process.

Currently, Gloriah is a business woman based in Nakuru and hoping to meet her father soon.

She however does not know if her father came back to the country after studies abroad but is hoping to meet him soon.

“I have always longed to have someone close, to call him dad for the first time. I wish to fulfill my childhood dreams of one time meeting my father to talk, smile and laugh with him”, said a hopeful Gloria.

She appeals to whoever has information that might lead her to him to help her trace him.

She also hopes his father might come across this story and get in touch with her.

“Gloriah is looking for you dad, she wants to meet you”, She she sasys as she laughs at her loud thought.