It is always an honor when you meet young leaders who are working extremely hard to empower and transform their communities. I am constantly being shocked (in a good way) when I meet Africans who are proud of their roots and are working hard in order to disrupt the status quo.
This week I got an opportunity to chat with Collins Kipkoech from Kenya who believes God has called him to give hope to the youth and women in the rural areas.
Collins was born and brought up in a Christian background in Nandi County of Rift Valley in the early 80s in a family of five. He attended Itigo primary school, All Saints Academy Kitale and Naisambu Primary Schools and says that it was a life full of challenges.
Education was not prioritized or emphasized enough and you could drop out of school and no one really saw the big deal including the teachers. His only source of hope then was successful figures from his village who always came back to give motivational talks and encourage the community to attend school and aim for the stars.
High school was a very painful ride for me. I wanted to study and be the best there was in my constituency but we could not afford the fees. I remember in my last year of high school, I was chased away for lack of fees and wasn’t allowed to sit for the first term exams. I clearly remember my balance was Kes 17,000 only.
I went home crying and I remember my father saying he only had Kes 5,000 and then accompanying me to school. He pleaded with the principal but the whole thing was handled very badly. We had to leave the school and that friday morning has always been my motivation in life. I vowed that wherever I can help youth go through education without humiliation, then I will.
God does not sleep though, on the same Friday evening my dad’s friend, I like to call him my good Samaritan passed by our home and he was shocked at what had happened. He asked my dad for the 5,000 Kes he had and told him he would enroll me at a school in Uganda.
Collins did exceptionally well in high school in Uganda and went ahead to join Daystar University studying B.A in Development Studies. At Daystar, he attended a life skills and Economic Empowerment (LSEE) training which equipped him to later initiate a Community Based Organization, Lukenya Pillars of Transformation(LPT).
At the University, he worked in a department that addressed community issues including alcohol, drug abuse (ADA) and HIV/AIDS. He was honored with two awards, Community Service and Servant Leadership from Daystar University and Shujaa Award from Ukarimu Ministry.
The young leader went ahead to found youth empowerment programs and organizations like A-Kili Foundation, which empowers young people with skills and creation of self-employment, Pillars of Development Consultants, which focuses on management consultancy, youth Groups such as Path Creators Investment Group, Envirofit Investment Group and Soaring Eagles Self-Help Group focusing on economic empowerment of youth and Mentor-Preneurs Organization focused on mentoring young entrepreneurs.
Collins is also passionate about agriculture. Following in his dad’s footsteps as a farmer, he never really cared to make money out of it until he interacted with women and youth in the rural areas and realized that these people have acres upon acres of land and yet they languish in poverty and hopelessness.
He began Agri Poultry Farming Kenya, a business with a focus on agri-poultry and mentorship programs for the youth. Through his organization, his objective has shifted to providing training ground for the local farmer especially youth and women in poultry and agribusiness ideas. This project is transforming hundreds of lives in rural Rift valley.
The youth should know that there is never a perfect time to act as a leader. You have to be deliberate on being the change that is needed to catalyze development in Kenya and beyond. Africa has ability, potential and transformation.
All you need is to put yourself out there and help others. I am constantly looking for ways to build myself and enhance my leadership skills. This is what led to being accepted to President Obama’s YALI program. Being elected to be the inaugural Chairperson of YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa Alumni Chapter of Kenya is also a huge responsibility that I am currently giving my best setting”
In the next 10 years, Collins envisions running mentorship centers focused on entrepreneurs and agribusiness of youth with established and empowered youth communities in Kenya and Africa as a whole.
When Collins is not working on empowering the youth, he enjoys making and eating Mursik and Ugali because it reminds him of his motherland.
