Every child in the Oasis for Orphans program has a unique story of how they became a part of the family. With each story, we find distinctive characteristics which impact the unique future of every Oasis child. Here is Tumuka’s story…
Tumuka, now a “sophomore” in high school, was initially found in “the bush,” a Kenyan term for an undeveloped, rural area. He was living with an elderly grandmother who was unable to take care of him or his younger brother because of her age. Both boys officially became a part of the Oasis family in 2009.
Tumuka has always had a gift and passion for running, and we’ve seen him excel and gain even more passion for the sport. In 2015, Tumuka earned 7th place out of 150 runners in a 10k put on by the local police department. With a time of 34:02, he earned a spot in a competitive race in a nearby city where all the best Kenyans runners train. Tumuka ran very well in this second race; but, more importantly, he found a high school that would not only train him academically, but also athletically. This high school was started by a renowned Kenyan runner and is a school for upcoming, elite Kenyan runners!
Today, Tumuka continues to perform well both on and off the track. This last December (2016), Tumuka attended a running camp over the holiday. His times improved yet again, and he is currently only seconds behind some of the best US NCAA Division 1 athletes in a couple events such as the 800m and 3000m. He has been invited to participate in the trials for the World Youth Race. This will be a huge opportunity for him to be seen by many recruiters, as he quite literally takes his next step toward his dreams.
We look forward to seeing how he continues to develop, and hope one day he’ll be recognized as a top runner in Kenya!
