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I HAVE COME FROM FAR, NOW ITS MY TIME TO GIVE BACK!

4/26/2014

26 Comments

 
Picture
I  am Jesca Kiplagat Face of Kenya UK 2014 Contestant. I am 28 years old and the 8th born in a family of 9 children. I was brought up in a rural village in Kenya, Marakwet district. I lived in a society where poverty, illiteracy, insecurity and female genital mutilation had thrived. Girl child education was not valued at all and
they were forced to get married at an early age of 12 years to get dowry due to poverty. As I saw girls go through FGM and getting married at an early age, I knew that education was the only way to overcome it. I was determined more than ever to pursue my education to the highest level and come back to champion
eradication of poverty, illiteracy, insecurity and FGM. Due to poverty in my family, education was a challenge from day one since my siblings were also attending school. In 1993, I joined a rural primary school in my village. New uniform leave alone shoes was not in my mother’s priorities. Going to school without food for days was a normal thing to my siblings and I.
  I was only grateful that was able to attend school. I did my KCPE in the year in 1999 and joined Loreto High School, Matunda courtesy of well-wishers. Though I still faced a lot of challenges, I managed to join Egerton University in the year 2005 courtesy of Higher Education loans board to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in education science (Mathematics and Chemistry).  I graduated in the year 2010

Again going to the next level of education was a dream to me. In 2010, I got a job at Equity bank at the Equity Group Foundation scholarship program in Kenya. It is a program that offers scholarships to children from poor
backgrounds. From my experience and that of the children I was working with, I envied a society where there is self-sufficiency, a society where there is no rich or poor, where all people will be equal.  Driven by all this experience, I wanted to pursue a Masters course that will enable me gain knowledge and skills in the eradication of poverty. Lucky enough, the Lalji Programme for African Leadership Foundation offered me a full scholarship for an MSc in Development Management at London School of Economics and Political Science where I am currently.


  My inspiration to participate in the Face of Kenya UK 2014.

As a beneficiary of charities and well-wishers for major part of my education, I feel I owe a lot to a poor/vulnerable child who is living a kind of life that I lived in my younger age. I believe they have a right to education and good life as everyone else. Therefore, I am funding a Kapchesewes Childrens
home for one/two children to pursue their secondary education in the next year. The Face of Kenya UK 2014 was launched on 12th April, 2014 with 20 participants funding different charities. By the end of this contest, I don’t want to be judged by my beauty but by the beauty of the smile that I will have put in a poor/vulnerable child’s face. Whether I win or not, I will be happy that I will have brought a smile into a Kenyan poor child’s face.


  My Charity of Choice-Kapchesewes Children Home.

Kapchesewes Childrens home is located in the Marakwet-West District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. It is run by AIC (African Inland Church). It is a home
of 39 kids, 27 in Primary and 12 in Secondary School.  They range from an age of 6-18 years. Majority of these children are partial or total orphans while others are there because their families cannot afford to care for them. They have two volunteers, Rose and her husband, who act as their parents at the same time run the orphanage with no pay at all seven days a week.  Over the years, the children’s home has faced a lot of challenges form lack of guardians to a lack of supplies and funds. There exist incomplete buildings and the children live in very bad conditions including lack of electricity and a small farm for
self-sustaining. The children sleep two to a bed in beds that most of us would complain about sleeping in by ourselves. The mattresses are thin and worn and
sag in the middle. The blankets they have are thin and have holes given that the up hills in Kenya can get pretty cold at night .They also cannot all eat at the
same time, because they don’t have enough bowls, plates and cups.  Amidst these difficulties, however, they work hard to succeed. They are almost entirely
self-supported, growing and cooking their own food as well as maintaining a small number of livestock as sheep and cows. These children love the lord and
most of the times they are taught scripture and worship songs. They are goal focused and many of them have ambitions as to be doctors, teachers, pilots in
future.

There is a tie between the orphanage and Kapsowar Mission Hospital. Laura Rhodes, the wife of the long-term missionary surgeon at Kapsowar Mission
Hospital, has established an education fund which allows these children to go to secondary school (high school) as well as to college if they qualify. She
doesn't do any massive fundraising. Medical students come through the hospital, visit the kids and donate. Friends from her home country send some money. Total strangers hear the story of the orphanage and send cash. The community members and extended families help them get shoes, transport to school, and other necessities, which will in turn be repaid once those children grow up and return the favour, with interest. This strengthens the cultural and community bonds.

Because of this bridge of secondary education, one of the orphans from Kapchesewes is now a federal attorney. Currently, there are three students in
nursing school, two in teacher's college, one pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce, one enrolled in a theological seminary, and one in an accounting program. In the past, students have gone on to courses in biomedicine and airplane mechanics. A former recipient is a skilled nurse at KapsowarHospital.

On the other hand, these children face medical problems. There is a worrying case of one boys epilepsy and another girls need for heart surgery. There is no
budget for medical and the community has to figure out how they can settle such bills e.g in the past they planned harambee to pay for the hospital bills for
the girl undergoing heart surgery.

Join me in giving a poor child a bright future through sponsoring their secondary education. My facebook Page if JESCA KIPLAGAT FACE OF KENYA UK 2014 CONTESTANT  for my updates and DON’T FORGET TO VOTE JESCA KIPLAGAT


26 Comments
Lilian
4/26/2014 02:44:58 am

God bless yu for the work yu are doing. Local contact no is

Reply
Jesca
5/4/2014 06:29:48 am

Thanks

Reply
Mohammed Razak
4/26/2014 02:49:10 am

You are just phenomenal, Keep up the good work

Reply
rawbat
4/26/2014 03:50:48 am

great job

Reply
Mutola j Shihemi
4/26/2014 04:10:36 am

All the best,love what you doing...behind you all the way.

Reply
isaac
4/26/2014 06:14:37 am

Amezing

Reply
Barnabas
4/26/2014 10:06:32 am

serving humanity is a great service to God. You have my vote

Reply
Forester
4/26/2014 04:09:30 pm

You are doing a great service to make a disadvantaged child have hope. Am with you Jesca. All the best.

Reply
philemon
4/26/2014 05:14:50 pm

You are a true African daughter and indeed the Face of Africa 2014 edition.

Reply
Nelly Sum
4/26/2014 07:42:30 pm

I am so proud of you my dear. You are a true inspiration. A face of hope not only Africa. All the best

Reply
kimutai amon
4/26/2014 07:50:48 pm

you are a true african woman

Reply
william kosgei
4/26/2014 11:35:13 pm

Thanks girl keep it up!!!!
Remember there's always light at the end of an t
tunnel!!
brilliant ambassador of good hope! !

Reply
sella
4/27/2014 02:33:22 am

Go Jessy, we are proud of you and are behind you all the way. let me know how I can vote for you and how I can get other Alumni members to vote for you. Love you, Sella

Reply
perez
4/27/2014 05:55:42 am

Beautiful child of God. You are already a winner. Xxxx

Reply
Ricky
4/27/2014 02:53:46 pm

Congratuations dear, so so so inspiring. Success....

Reply
Ricky
4/27/2014 02:55:46 pm

i miss one of your hobbies...dancing

Reply
Scola (Matunda Alumni)
4/27/2014 05:55:37 pm

Congs dear gal......Loreto Spirit all the way. I support your efforts gal....and yes....the true face of Kenya in UK!

Reply
yanoh
4/27/2014 09:21:29 pm

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.Even the smallest act of caring for another person is like a drop of water -it will make ripples throughout the entire pond,kudos and count my vote.

Reply
Daniel Loreng'a
4/27/2014 09:31:00 pm

may you vision for the vulnerable be achived.

Reply
Dan
4/27/2014 10:58:39 pm

You are a true face of Africa, God bless you in your endeavours

Reply
Namussasi N Moscent
4/28/2014 10:09:29 pm

When walking down memory lane you have been a girl of phenomenal qualities.You have mentored young girls provoking them into spearheading their education even when they were about to give up.You are an epitome of joy.Go girl! Go!

Reply
Jesca
5/4/2014 06:29:19 am

Thanks all.

Reply
NORAH
5/12/2014 06:26:53 pm

Hi Jesca,
I am greatly touched by what you are doing. I am a beneficiary of Kapchesewes Children's Home. I was brought up there from a tender age and had to face a lot of challenges because of the little resources that were in hand. Sometimes we could go without food and some basic necessities like shoes and clothes, but we had to endure and learn the art of survival for the fittest. Thankfully, for our reliance and belief in God the Provider, we survived through it all. Having overcome the many challenges you have vividly outlined above, I am now a State Attorney. I am proud of the home that gave me a future and a hope. I have survived through the charity of people like you and I am now a better person. God Bless you for the good good work you are doing and I wish you all the best in this contest and beyond.I am solidly behind you.
With so much Love and Gratitude,
Norah.

Reply
isaac
6/12/2014 01:28:52 am

go for it ..you are an inspiration to many.
Much love from home, marakwet

Reply
caroline(loreto alumi )
8/3/2014 07:09:55 pm

God bless u for what you are doing,keep the loreto spirit and the virtues taught by MaryWard.We are proud of u

Reply
Dennis Kiptoo Mutai
4/27/2017 01:20:35 am

Your Work is desirable Jesca, God bless You abundantly

Reply



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    My Profile

    I am 28 years Kenyan Lady, 5.4. I am Masters Student at London School of Economics Pursuing a MSc in Development. I was brought up and also pursued my Primary,Secondary and Undergraduate Studies in Kenya.  Before i came to London I was working with Equity Group Foundation Scholarship Program, which sponsor over 9000 scholars to pursue High School and Undergraduate studies in various schools in Kenya an abroad.
    I was brought up in a rural village in Rift Valley Province of Kenya and in a very humble background. Most part of my studies was paid by well-wishers and charities. My Masters at London School of Economics is fully funded by charity.

    I am participating in this years Face of Kenya UK because having it is a channel that will enable me give back to my community. My education was funded by charities and i will only be fulfilled if i will bring light to a poor child's education through funding a charity that will sponsor a child from a humble background as myself.

    I love Kenya because it is my mother land. I have stayed in Kenya for almost all my life and i can never imagine staying away from my lovely country. I love the warmth of the people, the food, the weather, the Wild animals and the beautiful beaches that attract tourists from all over the world, beautiful hotels, the peace, and more so it is a home of athletics champions. 
    I believe in youth empowerment through education,training, naturing talents, entreprenuership and many more. The youths are the future Kenya. They are the future leaders. This will only come to pass if the Kenyan leaders invest and empower them. With empowered youths, i believe by 2030, we will live in a Kenya free from poverty.

    My hobbies are dancing,reading,watching movies,capacity building and listening to music.

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