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Uganda won 3 medals at the recently concluded U20 World Athletics Championships in Lima, Peru but besides Loice Chekwemoi’s silver in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, the other two medals were bronze by Kenneth Kiprop and Charity Cherop in the men and Women’s 5000m respectively.
Both Kiprop and Cherop were nurtured from the Joshua Cheptegei Development foundation, a non profit that is transforming lives of children through athletics and providing free education in Kapchorwa, Bukwo, Kween in the Sebei sub region of Uganda and nearby districts like Nakapiripirit.
“I believe that education transforms the community, it’s a fundamental requirement.” Uganda’s Athletics legend Joshua Cheptegei told the BBC in 2021, the year in which he officially launched this foundation.
Top of it’s athletics schedule is an annual Joshua Cheptegei Christmas run which has young athletes competing over the 5000m, 3000m and 2000m for U16, U14 & U12 age groups respectively. Top performers are given a lifeline with free education and into the Joshua Cheptegei Athletics Club Camp which provides them with all the basic necessities to pursue their careers and currently has 28 young athletes.
Tipped by some as the next Cheptegei, Kenneth Kiprop the bronze medalist in Lima is one of this run’s best products. He was spotted as 14 year old, his talent immediately caught everyone’s eye and drafted into the camp, it wasn’t too long before he was signed by nike’s NN running team following steller performances in both local and international races.
The 19yr old now trains with his idol, Cheptegei an NN teammate who moments after winning an Olympic gold over the 10,000m in Paris bid farewell to the track but in his announcement of turning attention to marathons, sighted something.
“kapchorwa and Uganda are now ready to compete with the world’s best.” He was specific, Kapchorwa is a district in Eastern Uganda part of the Sebei sub region which is home to most of the country’s middle and long distance athletes including the best of the lot, Cheptegei. And in saying that, maybe he had athletics under his wing like Kiprop at the back of his mind.
To ensure that more children have access to education, the Cheptegei Junior School is in place with over 700 students under his bursary scheme which caters for not only talented but to many children like orphans or others who can’t afford education in the community.
The foundation’s activities extended beyond the confines of sport to sensitizing the community about gender-based violence, early marriages, teenage pregnancies, high levels of school dropouts, female genital mutilation and HIV/AIDS. Issues that have greatly pulled back the Sebei Sub region despite it’s global sporting glory.
“We go to different communities in the region like Bukwo, Kween and Nakapiripiriti helping girls attain education which protects them from from most of these vices.” – Jacob Mutela, Head of communications at the foundation. “We also work closely with other Athletes, Peruth Chemutai regularly shows up to guide and motivate the girls.”
Other sons of the land who’ve gathered huge success like Jacob Kiplimo, Stephen Kiprotich and Moses Kipsiro also occasionally join hands to help nurture these young talents.
