On Thursday, December 1, Chams Media founder Alex Chamwada was honoured by Kenyans.co.ke in its annual ranking Top 100 Kenyans.
The industry veteran was celebrated for his inspiring work of elevating Kenya's storytelling on the global scale.
In the days leading to his unveiling, Kenyans.co.ke caught up with the journalist and learnt that his highlight of the year was a totally different kind of fulfilment - an elevation of a security guard, Isaiya Bwabi, to his dream job in the media industry.
Chamwada noted that Bwabi, a long time guard at his court in Nairobi, visited his office to learn what Chams Media does.
During the visit, the then gatekeeper - a humble and ambitious man of average build - asked him to sponsor his education to pursue a degree in journalism, a wish he was granted.
"This is really amazing, quite touching. Just the feeling that you are able to contribute to changing someone's life and taking them to the next level.
"Chams Media as a fraternity, we have contributed to changing the life of a guard who was at the gate of our court who would open the gate for us and would keep smiling. He would really be welcoming and saying hi. Visiting us in the office to check how we work," stated Chamwada.
Below is the video:
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Chamwada and his company, Chams Media, honoured his wish and enrolled him at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) in Eldoret.
At the time, Bwabi was a holder of a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate where he scored C- (minus) grade while attending Geoffbrown High School in Bungoma.
"One day he started telling me, 'I think I can make a good journalist. I have never asked you for handouts and anything but I want to ask you for something. Are you able to sponsor me to go to college?
"Just like that, we accepted. He is now at KIMC, Eldoret Campus pursuing Journalism. He wants to be a cameraman," he added.
At KIMC, Bwabi is pursuing a certificate course in Filming and Photography and is already a stellar student as per his lecturers.
Chamwada's zeal to succeed transcends his own career path. In a past interview, the celebrated journalist revealed that he employs a number of his high school's alumni.
He also regularly surprises his former teachers.
Here is the full list of Top 100 Kenyans 2022.
