Former President of Augustana College in the US, Steve Bahls, alongside his wife Jane Bahls, on Monday, April 11 announced plans to honour Kenyan entrepreneur Nelly Cheboi.
The couple is set to establish the Nelly Cheboi Endowed Scholarship to accord needy children a chance to study at the college.
Furthermore, the couple committed Ksh6.7 million (USD50,000) for the international scholarship.
Cheboi is an alumnus of the college where her dream to offer computer lessons to kids began. She later founded Techlit Foundation and now repurposes computers to train kids in Kenya.
Steve noted that while Cheboi was in the university, her idea was downplayed by her coursemates but she never gave up.
"She is someone who had an idea but was told that the idea could never be implemented. She persisted and used her Augustana-taught critical thinking and analytical skills to start this wonderful organisation.
"We want to honour her and send a message to students who receive this award: do not be shy in your ambitions and set your goals high," Steve stated.
The couple described Cheboi as their adopted daughter after their first meeting in 2011 at their church.
Jane showered the entrepreneur with praises for following her dream to empower young people and equipping them with employable skills.
"It is exciting to see the young people gain these skills not because I love technology but because I love the idea of their rise out of poverty," she added.
In December 2022, Cheboi was awarded the CNN Hero of the Year award and received Ksh74 million to further her venture.
She was also among the winners of the 2023 Elevate Prize Award and bagged an additional Ksh62 million alongside another female entrepreneur Teresa Wanjiku of Clean Start Solutions.
