At just 12 years old, Makongho Beverly is set to enter Lower Sixth after passing eight subjects at this year’s General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level while still in Form 2. She dreams of becoming a medical doctor.
Each passing day is a difficult one for Makongho Beverly’s grandmother, who is caught up with age and frequent illness.
Twelve-year-old Beverly is always available whenever grandma needs someone to attend to her.
But seeing her grandmother grapple with illness worries her.
So, the teenager resolved to pursue a medical career, hoping to one day find a cure for her grandmother’s ailments.
When Beverly entered Form 2 last September, she was so eager to study to get into a medical school that she could not wait to go through the normal seven years of secondary and high school.
Her journey began when she told her aunt, Rev. Charlotte E. Fonsah, about her desire to take the GCE in Form 2, three years earlier than usual.
Despite the challenge, Beverly was determined to study hard and fast-track her education.
Her cousin, who studies at Biaka Medical School in Buea, told her she wasn’t getting anywhere near the medical field without studying science.
“No science, no medical doctor” became a phrase she repeated often.
With grandma sick, Beverly thought there was no time to wait until Form 5 to write the GCE.
In February 2024, she registered for 10 subjects in the GCE O’Level exams and passed eight: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Economics, Geography, English, and Logic. Her results included several A grades.
SAILING THROUGH ARMED CONFLICT
Beverly’s academic journey has not been without its challenges.
Displaced from Tole in 2017 due to insecurity caused by the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, she was still in kindergarten at the time.
The brilliant girl later completed primary school in 2022 and enrolled at FOMIC Comprehensive Bilingual High School in Sandpit, Buea.
Preparing for the GCE, Beverly maintained a rigorous study schedule, balancing schoolwork with household chores.
“In the morning, after prayers, she cleans the plates, cleans the toilet, fetches water, and prepares her younger brother for school. She leaves for school at 7:30 a.m.,” said Rev. Charlotte E. Fonsah, Beverly’s aunt with whom she has been living with since she was eight months old.
“She returns from school at 4 p.m., interacts with family, and sleeps until 8 p.m. Then she gets up at 11 p.m. and reads until 1 a.m. She sleeps till 5 a.m. She reads for an hour every morning before doing her housework.
“In April, she returned from school at 6 p.m. because of preparatory classes organised by the school. She would eat and sleep till 8 p.m. We study till 11 p.m. Sleep till 5 a.m. Study for one hour, perform her duties, then leave for school. In mid-April, she had only her bookwork to attend to until May, when the exams started. Her program was modified. From school, she sleeps for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Read and discuss until 1 a.m. Sleeps until 5 a.m. Read from 5 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. She takes much food in flasks to school,” she added.
When it was the weekend, they would study until we got tired.
Beverly’s family hails from Shimbenb-Lebock in Upper Nkongho Mbo, Kupe Muanenguba Division of the Southwest region.
She has been living with her aunt, Rev. Charlotte Fonsah, since she was eight months old.
According to Bervely’s aunt, she wrote in Form 2 because of God’s will, her intelligence, and her superior IQ.
When she came up with the idea of writing in Form 2, her aunt just supported it, provided for all her needs, including all school materials, and studied with her all the time after school and on weekends.
“We read through all the topics and solved past questions. I supervised her activities in school through teachers and at home. I limited her playing and resting time and prepared a study program for her,” she said.
BULLIED BY OLDER STUDENTS
Throughout her journey, Beverly faced bullying from older students, who were surprised to see a child among them.
Despite the challenges, she persevered, supported by her aunt, who ensured she had everything she needed, from school materials to constant study support.
“Each day she had to write to guard her against intimidating talks, nicknames, and heavy questioning from other candidates who were so surprised to see a child as a candidate with them,” Rev. Fonsah said.
“She had to cry because she felt embarrassed by bigger students she never knew who rejected her when she called them Aunty or Uncle.
“She was being referred to as a dwarf by those who were uncomfortable and as a GCE child by those who felt impressed and took an interest in her.
“I stayed close to her to sustain her morale. I made a promise to buy a laptop as a congratulatory gift, as she made her choice,” her aunt said.
However, she was not bothered, as she knew exactly what her mission was.
When the results came out in July, Beverly felt bad that she had failed two subjects out of the 10 she registered.
However, that dream of soon enrolling into a medical school after her Advanced Level kept a smile on her face.
“I had consoled my child and myself that failure in these exams would not mean much, so she shouldn’t border. She told me she did not want to think of failure because she had to succeed,” said her aunt.
“I was overwhelmed with great joy. It was a pleasant surprise. A beautiful story to tell that ends with laughter,” Rev Fonsah added, noting that hard work pays.
She told MMI that Beverly will not write Advance Level in Lowersixh to avoid issues that can affect her psychic.
“She will have to broaden her scope on the foundation of sciences through detailed studies of the A/L programs,” she said when asked if she would allow her to write the GCE Advanced Level exam in Lower Sixth.
Most students usually start GCE preparation in Form 3 and then write in Form 5. But Beverly wrote in Form 2 and succeeded—something very unusual.
This year’s GCE has seen some success stories. MMI earlier reported about a 16-year-old internally displaced boy, Mohammed Hadi, who scored 11 A Grades at the GCE O’Level, the best scores an O’Level candidate can have.
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