My name is Jane Cheyech. I am 23 years old, from the Pokot community, born and raised in a small village called Rena in Kapenguria, Kenya.
I grew up in a large family of 11 children — four boys and seven girls — and I am the third born. My mother is a housewife, and my father worked as an assistant area head. Like many girls in my community, education was never guaranteed.
I started nursery school in 2006 and attended Morpus Primary School from Class One to Class Eight. In 2013, I sat my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams and scored 332 out of 500 marks. This achievement enabled me to join Nasokol Girls High School in 2014.
My secondary school journey was not easy. My attendance was often disrupted because of school fees, and there were times I was told I should stop school and prepare for marriage so that resources could be used for my younger siblings. I truly believed my education had come to an end.
Thankfully, my school principal understood my situation and showed compassion, allowing me to continue when possible. In 2017, I completed my secondary education and achieved a Grade B. I was proud of myself, but the pressure to abandon my education did not stop.
Despite this, I believed deeply that my future could be different.
I stayed with my grandmother for a short time, and during that period I heard about interviews for the Ortum Mission School of Nursing. I attended the interview, even though I had no idea how I would pay for college if I succeeded.
When I received the news that I had passed, I was filled with both joy and worry. Then came a life-changing phone call. I was informed that I had been awarded a scholarship, made possible through the generosity of Jean Anderson.
That moment changed everything.
I joined nursing school and am now finalising my studies. My experience has been incredibly rewarding. Being with patients, seeing them recover, and supporting mothers in the labour ward has brought me deep joy and purpose. Nursing has confirmed that this is truly my calling.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported my education — especially Jean Anderson — for believing in me, mentoring me, and opening a new chapter in my life. Because of this support, I now have a future filled with hope.
My promise is this: when I gain employment, whether in Kenya or beyond, I will ensure that at least one Pokot girl receives an education, just as I was supported. Education transforms lives — I am living proof.
From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you.
