Joan Nyegera Thimangu
Joan “Joanina” Nyegera Thimangu will be remembered as one of Kenya's pioneer educators, a leading voice of the disenfranchised, a selfless leader in women's causes and a tireless family stalwart.
Mrs. Thimangu retired as headmistress of Amatu Catholic Primary School in 1997 after a career in education spanning more than 30 years. Among her former students are some of Kenya's leading academicians, entrepreneurs, professionals and politicians.
Mrs. Thimangu was the daughter of the late Cypriano Thirinja, a World War II veteran and noted entrepreneur, and Marcela Thirinja, who survived her. Margaret Kaibacha, who also survived her, was her step mother. Mrs. Thimangu was born in Meru Town on the banks of the Kathita River on April 20, 1940, where her parents lived before they moved to Amatu village in Tigania West in 1945. Her father belonged to the Muchiumiro arm of the Amatu clan.
It was from her father based on his military experiences at home and overseas that Mrs. Thimangu cultivated a firm belief that education was a necessary tool to uplift herself, her family and her community at large. To that end and with her husband's help, she spared no efforts to pay for the education of her five children, siblings and tens of extended family members.
Mrs. Thimangu's zeal for education was such that in her last days, even as severe illness stalked her in a hospital bed, one of her biggest concerns was that a member of the extended family secures funding to complete university education. She herself retired as a university graduate-level teacher, one of the very few women of her generation in Kenya to reach that level.
Mrs. Thimangu's educational journey began at a Catholic elementary school in Egoji, Imenti Central, where her father had taken her to stay with relatives because there we no schools in her home village. He later brought her back home and transferred her to Muthara Tigania Catholic Mission School. At the age of 7 years old, she was the only female pupil in her class and had to walk, barefoot, 10 miles to and from school every day.
Mrs. Thimangu attended Nyeri Catholic Girls Secondary School, which was eventually transferred to Mugoiri in Murang'a, Central Province. She completed her secondary education in 1960 and joined Kiambu Catholic Teachers Training College a year later. She completed teachers training in 1962 and qualified as a P1-level teacher.
Mrs. Thimangu began her career in 1963 as a teacher at St. Mary's Egoji Secondary School. A staunch Roman Catholic, she was an active member of Catholic Action, a lay activist organization of that denomination.
She was married to Kennan Martin Thimangu Kaunyangi on Dec. 24, 1964, at Meru Roman Catholic Cathedral in a ceremony officiated by Fr. Selacio Kirianthia, the first African priest in the Diocese of Meru. The best man was the late Hon. Simon Kamunde, Kenyan assistant minister for defense; the best maid was his wife, Jerusha. The Kamundes perished in a road accident on their way back to Nairobi, a day after the wedding.
Soon after getting married, Mrs. Thimangu began teaching at what was then known as Limbine Catholic Primary School, Tigania West. In May 1965, she enrolled in an advanced course at the old Highridge Teachers Training College in Nairobi after which she was elevated to an S1-level teacher and appointed as a tutor at the college.
In May 1965 her husband, who survives her, was elected Member of Parliament for what was then Nyambene South Tigania constituency. In order to support her husband's political position and help with community development projects, Mrs. Thimangu sought a transfer to Meru Teachers Training College as a tutor. She taught at the college until 1968, when she asked to be moved to Miathene Secondary School because it was closer to the family home in Kianjai.
She was devoted to her family, helping to care for her own mother and her mother-in-law, Susanna Mwendwa Mutwauoroi who lived to be more than 100 years old. Mrs. Thimangu never left her husband's side and together they proudly raised five children who have all become successful in their careers.
While teaching at Miathene Secondary School, she also was an active member of the local chapter of the women's development and activist organizations Maendeleo Ya Wanawake and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). She had served as local chairlady of both organizations.
In 1975 Mrs. Thimangu left Miathene Secondary to become the head mistress of Amatu Primary School, which is affiliated and stands next to Amatu Roman Catholic Church, a sanctuary built on land donated by her late father. She eventually was promoted to become a university-level graduate teacher and was intimately involved in growing Amatu Primary and in helping to create its educational programs for children with disabilities one of the first such programs in the region.
Mrs. Thimangu served as the chairperson of the board of governors of Mikinduri Girls Secondary School, which her husband as an MP had helped her start. She was chairlady of the Amatu Prayer House from 1975 to 1982. She had been a member of the District Education Board for Meru North District; and at various times served on the boards of governors of Kianjai Secondary School, St. Cyprian Secondary School, Kianjai Polytechnic and St. Francis Secondary School Muramba.
In retirement, which began in 1997, Mrs. Thimangu led an active life. She founded and led the Mirintu Women's Group, a local community-development organization. Despite lack of any real pension, she continued to raise money to educate children in her own extended family as well as in the local community. She also traveled twice to the United States, once to attend her son's wedding and another time to see her grandson.
Mrs. Thimangu died 5:45 p.m. Sept. 1, 2009 from complications arising out of an internal infection and the resurgence of abdominal cancer for which she had received successful treatment in 2008. Prior to her terminal illness, she had enjoyed robust health and rarely missed a day of work for medical reasons.
Mrs. Thimangu's other survivors included; her children Patrick L. Thimangu and his wife Rachel of St. Louis, Mo; Anthony G. Thimangu, Susan N. Thimangu, both of Nairobi, Kenya, Paskwa Mutunga and her husband Charles, of Toronto, Canada and Michael K. Thimangu of Nairobi, Kenya; grand-children Benjamin M. Thimangu and Michelle Mutunga; siblings Valentino Thirinja, Julius Marete, Justa Mugambi, Clemente Thirinja, Cecilia Rincuni, John Kariti Thirinja, Mwari Thirinja, Miriam Thirinja, Stephen Linguli Thirinja, Kananu and Karambu.
Mrs. Thimangu retired as headmistress of Amatu Catholic Primary School in 1997 after a career in education spanning more than 30 years. Among her former students are some of Kenya's leading academicians, entrepreneurs, professionals and politicians.
Mrs. Thimangu was the daughter of the late Cypriano Thirinja, a World War II veteran and noted entrepreneur, and Marcela Thirinja, who survived her. Margaret Kaibacha, who also survived her, was her step mother. Mrs. Thimangu was born in Meru Town on the banks of the Kathita River on April 20, 1940, where her parents lived before they moved to Amatu village in Tigania West in 1945. Her father belonged to the Muchiumiro arm of the Amatu clan.
It was from her father based on his military experiences at home and overseas that Mrs. Thimangu cultivated a firm belief that education was a necessary tool to uplift herself, her family and her community at large. To that end and with her husband's help, she spared no efforts to pay for the education of her five children, siblings and tens of extended family members.
Mrs. Thimangu's zeal for education was such that in her last days, even as severe illness stalked her in a hospital bed, one of her biggest concerns was that a member of the extended family secures funding to complete university education. She herself retired as a university graduate-level teacher, one of the very few women of her generation in Kenya to reach that level.
Mrs. Thimangu's educational journey began at a Catholic elementary school in Egoji, Imenti Central, where her father had taken her to stay with relatives because there we no schools in her home village. He later brought her back home and transferred her to Muthara Tigania Catholic Mission School. At the age of 7 years old, she was the only female pupil in her class and had to walk, barefoot, 10 miles to and from school every day.
Mrs. Thimangu attended Nyeri Catholic Girls Secondary School, which was eventually transferred to Mugoiri in Murang'a, Central Province. She completed her secondary education in 1960 and joined Kiambu Catholic Teachers Training College a year later. She completed teachers training in 1962 and qualified as a P1-level teacher.
Mrs. Thimangu began her career in 1963 as a teacher at St. Mary's Egoji Secondary School. A staunch Roman Catholic, she was an active member of Catholic Action, a lay activist organization of that denomination.
She was married to Kennan Martin Thimangu Kaunyangi on Dec. 24, 1964, at Meru Roman Catholic Cathedral in a ceremony officiated by Fr. Selacio Kirianthia, the first African priest in the Diocese of Meru. The best man was the late Hon. Simon Kamunde, Kenyan assistant minister for defense; the best maid was his wife, Jerusha. The Kamundes perished in a road accident on their way back to Nairobi, a day after the wedding.
Soon after getting married, Mrs. Thimangu began teaching at what was then known as Limbine Catholic Primary School, Tigania West. In May 1965, she enrolled in an advanced course at the old Highridge Teachers Training College in Nairobi after which she was elevated to an S1-level teacher and appointed as a tutor at the college.
In May 1965 her husband, who survives her, was elected Member of Parliament for what was then Nyambene South Tigania constituency. In order to support her husband's political position and help with community development projects, Mrs. Thimangu sought a transfer to Meru Teachers Training College as a tutor. She taught at the college until 1968, when she asked to be moved to Miathene Secondary School because it was closer to the family home in Kianjai.
She was devoted to her family, helping to care for her own mother and her mother-in-law, Susanna Mwendwa Mutwauoroi who lived to be more than 100 years old. Mrs. Thimangu never left her husband's side and together they proudly raised five children who have all become successful in their careers.
While teaching at Miathene Secondary School, she also was an active member of the local chapter of the women's development and activist organizations Maendeleo Ya Wanawake and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). She had served as local chairlady of both organizations.
In 1975 Mrs. Thimangu left Miathene Secondary to become the head mistress of Amatu Primary School, which is affiliated and stands next to Amatu Roman Catholic Church, a sanctuary built on land donated by her late father. She eventually was promoted to become a university-level graduate teacher and was intimately involved in growing Amatu Primary and in helping to create its educational programs for children with disabilities one of the first such programs in the region.
Mrs. Thimangu served as the chairperson of the board of governors of Mikinduri Girls Secondary School, which her husband as an MP had helped her start. She was chairlady of the Amatu Prayer House from 1975 to 1982. She had been a member of the District Education Board for Meru North District; and at various times served on the boards of governors of Kianjai Secondary School, St. Cyprian Secondary School, Kianjai Polytechnic and St. Francis Secondary School Muramba.
In retirement, which began in 1997, Mrs. Thimangu led an active life. She founded and led the Mirintu Women's Group, a local community-development organization. Despite lack of any real pension, she continued to raise money to educate children in her own extended family as well as in the local community. She also traveled twice to the United States, once to attend her son's wedding and another time to see her grandson.
Mrs. Thimangu died 5:45 p.m. Sept. 1, 2009 from complications arising out of an internal infection and the resurgence of abdominal cancer for which she had received successful treatment in 2008. Prior to her terminal illness, she had enjoyed robust health and rarely missed a day of work for medical reasons.
Mrs. Thimangu's other survivors included; her children Patrick L. Thimangu and his wife Rachel of St. Louis, Mo; Anthony G. Thimangu, Susan N. Thimangu, both of Nairobi, Kenya, Paskwa Mutunga and her husband Charles, of Toronto, Canada and Michael K. Thimangu of Nairobi, Kenya; grand-children Benjamin M. Thimangu and Michelle Mutunga; siblings Valentino Thirinja, Julius Marete, Justa Mugambi, Clemente Thirinja, Cecilia Rincuni, John Kariti Thirinja, Mwari Thirinja, Miriam Thirinja, Stephen Linguli Thirinja, Kananu and Karambu.
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