Joshau Cheptegei, helping an athlete stablise her shoe before the race in Kapchorwa.
World and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei has given out 60 education scholarships to vulnerable but talented Athletes in the Sebei region.
The athlete awarded the tokens during the 5th edition of the annual Christmas run in Kapchorwa on Saturday, through the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation which was started in 2015 with the purpose of using sports to transform communities.
Sebei Sub-region is one of the communities that have produced Uganda’s greatest athletes over the years. However, it is still struggling with a string of challenges which include, among others, Poverty, Gender-Based Violence, early marriages, teenage pregnancies, high levels of school dropouts and female genital mutilation.
Under the Initiative, Chepptegei says that he wants to encourage girls to stay in school, establish schools, and establish a sports academy which will be used to nurture talent in sports. He explains that the first round of scholarships includes 45 that will go towards meeting the educational needs of learners in Primary Schools and 14 that are going to learners in secondary school.
Cheptegei says that the project is in line with his mission to empower vulnerable potential athletes to realize their dreams and become responsible citizens. He explains that the foundation has witnessed more frequent talents mushrooming annually, who need to be empowered.
Geoffrey Chebengat, a parent of two children, who got primary school scholarships says excelling athletes should emulate Cheptegei’s desire to empower communities in the fields of education and sports.
Cedric Solomon, one of the beneficiaries of the scholarships told Uganda Radio Network that he is going to utilize the opportunity to be a better athlete who is both empowered in sports and Academics. Solomon, who completed the Primary school cycle more than a year ago, had failed to join school early this year due to a lack of school fees.
Uganda Athletics Federation vice President Benjamin Njia says the federation is currently emphasizing a Duo career in sports.
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