A 7-year-old girl Whitney Jepkorir, was the envy of Eldoret town on Wednesday, June 24 as she got the full VIP treatment from world marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge.
Kipchoge was leading a charity drive to help residents of lower pioneer estate, Eldoret, when Jepkorir's story caught his attention, prompting him to make a sizeable donation to her family.
Whitney's mother, Millicent Chemeli, who works as a security guard was shocked as well as thankful when she walked out to see her daughter being driven into their homestead in Kipchoge's blue double cabin truck stacked with food items.
"We have been going through a really hard time during this period. I am so happy and grateful for the timely donation," she stated.
Kipchoge and several other athletes based in Eldoret had teamed up to embark on a charity drive aimed at lending a hand to families struggling to put food on the table in their home town.
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"I am happy that we have made her (Jepkorir's) day today," Kipchoge remarked.
The world marathon record holder's foundation has been on a charity mission ever since Covid-19 hit the country, going on to feed not only vulnerable families but fellow athletes who are struggling as well.
Several other sportsmen have also been championing similar causes with Harambee Stars forward Michael Olunga, through his friends and family in Nairobi, donating essential items that included sanitizers and hand wash to communities around Lucky Summer, the estate where he grew up as a budding footballer.
“It was my pleasure to lend a hand towards preventing the spread of Covid -19 by donating sanitizers and hand washes to small business owners, churches, car washes, children's homes and a few households across Lucky Summer, BabaDogo, Kasabuni, Kariadudu, Riverside and Glucola Estates,” Olunga posted on his Twitter account in April 2020.
Several of his teammates including Stars skipper Victor Wanyama, midfielder Johannah Omollo and Francis Kahata have also had similar initiatives in the recent past.
On his part, Kipchoge maintained that more can be done to help the less privileged during this period, going on to urge various stakeholders to chip in with whatever they could to support those in need of essential items, as well as athletes who are currently bereft of their source of livelihood.
