The birth of a baby is
always a cause to celebrate. It was a
joyous day in a tiny village in Kaptoboiti in Kericho County when a girl was born.
Women came in groups to shower the new parents and the baby with food and
gifts, some came carrying firewood on their backs singing songs of praise for
the mother to show their delight at the arrival of the new healthy bundle of
joy. Villagers could not hide their smiles after receiving the news which was
spreading very fast, a new life into the world. The new life was an answered prayer
in the Mugun’s family, it had been their heart’s desire that they be blessed
with baby girl. Ululations from her grandmother could be heard in the nearby village.
Her father and brothers were chanting outside their big house which was surrounded
by beautiful flowers and banana and tea plantations, as they enjoyed the cool morning
breeze.
The girl was named Chepkoech,
a name that perfectly matched the brightness of the morning that shone on her
face. She was the lucky one, the last born and the only girl in a family of
four children. Her parents wanted the best for her, to grow in their teachings.
Greatness and beauty on her face were already showing, the beauty of her grandmother.
At the age of three,
the jovial girl Valentine Mugun was enrolled in Grassland primary school Tabon,
her nursery teacher noticed her leadership skills and made her a class prefect.
She came to be loved by teachers and fellow pupils. Her
classwork and leadership went hand in hand meriting her the head girl position
while in class seven. Her ambition, confidence, enthusiasm and problem solving
problem skills earned her a name not only in her school but also in the neighbouring
schools. She recalled with a smile the first time she gave a speech during a
prayer day in her school when she was in class seven and everyone cheered.
‘Standing before a large
crowd for the first time was not easy, I could hardly hear myself speak, but
all went well,’ she said with a wide smile.
When she did her K.C.P.
E, Chepkoech performed very well, earning herself a place in Kaplong Girls High
School in Kericho County, where she became a leader all through and ended up
being the president when she was in form four. At that moment, leadership in her was awakened.
Her teachers’ and fellow students’ belief in her helped her confidence grow.
Valentine blossomed into
not only a beautiful but a powerful woman. In the year 2015, she joined Multimedia
University of Kenya. She was beyond excited when she received her admission
letter. Her father accompanied her to campus for the admission process but it
was only after they arrived at the campus gate that reality dawned on her. Fear and confusion about her new environment
gripped her, having lived her entire life in Kericho.
Soon, life in campus began
and the only person she would seek solace from was her cousin Sharon, a fellow freshman
who was just as confused as she was. Luckily, it did not take long for her to
adapt. She attended all the orientation sessions, joined Commerce club and even
participated in club fora. Being an active member, she was appointed a vice
chair of the Commerce club while in second year. Suddenly, campus life became
everything she had dreamt of.
The spirit of leadership
was in her, the fire to lead was burning. At first, she was scared of vying for
any leadership positions owing to male dominance in the field as well as the chaos
that always ensued during campus elections. But her greatest fear was that of
‘goons’ who would be paid to taint an opponent’s name, scare or even beat
him/her up in the dark. All these fears vanished in an instant.
That particular day was
very bright. Chepkoech sat outside the hostels, watching the baboons moving around
lazily whilst reading her favourite book The
48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, when she was approached by two young
good-looking men in blue suits and red ties whom she thought she had seen before.
One of the two gentlemen was vying for campus president and they had come to request
her to be his deputy. She hesitated at first but she could not fight her passion
and desire to inspire young people. She became the vice president of Multimedia
University of Kenya while in her third year.
This opportunity opened her inner eyes. Every
day, she woke up with an aim of making a positive change in the lives of young
people. In the 2017, Valentine spearheaded the formation of Barrier Breakers,
an organization that carries out student mentorship, student leaders’ training,
youth and women empowerment. Serving as the vice chairperson of the Multimedia
University of Kenya Student Union encouraged her to become passionate about
student leaders’ training. Her desire was to raise a generation of leaders who
were driven by their zeal to transform society.
Valentine is inspired
by women who shatter the glass ceiling and go beyond their comfort zone. In
2018, she became the first lady in the campus to vie for the president position
but sadly did not win. Still, she continues to inspire many young women to follow
their passion and dreams.
Her ambition and
determination gave her an opportunity to attend the Young African Women
Congress in Accra, Ghana in July this year, where she gained insights on grassroots
mobilization for women empowerment. She is currently a fourth year student and
ready to break more barriers. Through her, young women are able
to realize that despite the many barriers to female leadership, with
determination nothing is impossible.
By: Winnie Koros
www.doitadigital.com