Nelly Cheboi's Star Shines Brighter as Teachers Benefit in Venture

Kenyan engineer Nelly Cheboi during the 2022 CNN Heroes of the Year in New York on Monday, December 11, 2022..jpg
Kenyan engineer Nelly Cheboi during the 2022 CNN Heroes of the Year in New York on Sunday, December 11, 2022.
CNN

2022 CNN Person of the Year, Nelly Cheboi, partnered with the European Business University of Luxembourg (EBU) to train teachers on technology.

In an interview on Friday, January 30, Cheboi revealed that teachers were trained on computer courses and later empowered to train students in various schools through her organisation - Techlit Africa.

She explained that the programme benefited several tutors who had challenges accessing the same training elsewhere.

Through the programme, the teachers also have an opportunity of earning a living.

Kenyan engineer Nelly Cheboi during the 2022 CNN Heroes of the Year in New York on Monday, December 11, 2022..jpg
Kenyan engineer Nelly Cheboi and her mother during the 2022 CNN Heroes of the Year in New York on Sunday, December 11, 2022.
CNN

It was revealed that they earn an average of Ksh40,000 for training the students on computer packages. Mostly parents of the schools that hire the teachers contribute to carter for the salaries. 

"Some teachers can get a college education as some cannot.

"Our teachers come in and get these courses very easily and the coolest part is that they are still learning (in the night) and teaching for Techlit Africa," she stated.

On the other hand, she added that other Kenyans had also benefited from the initiative by narrating a success story of one of their employees.

"One of the success stories is that our bookkeeper only had a high school education. He wanted to go to college. He joined EBU and is doing an accounting track,' she stated.

In a statement released in November 2022, EBU praised Cheboi for her ingenuity, noting the transformations witnessed in society from her projects.

In particular, the international university noted that the '10 computer labs' pilot programmes benefitted 4000 students.

"Their teachers have been trained to run computer labs in their own community, where they meet daily to improve their classes.

"We believe that a world of opportunities is being unlocked for its beneficiaries, who will be inspired to pursue a dozen careers as well as have the skills to tap into the global economy directly from the village," read the statement in part.

Cheboi was named the 2022 CNN Person of the Year in recognition of her empowerment programmes for rural communities through Techlit Africa.

Nelly Cheboi teaching a young boy to use a computer.
Nelly Cheboi teaching a young boy to use a computer.
File