When we launched the Foundation
On November 29, 2021, World and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei and his team launched the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation in Kapchorwa Municipality, bringing to a climax years of preparation and paperwork.
The Foundation was started in 2015 with a purpose to transform communities into strong, united and influential partners in development.
However, the team had been working behind the scenes to enable the Foundation walk on its feet.
“Our main agenda is to use sports for community transformation taking note that Sebei Sub-region in Uganda is one of the communities that still grapples with challenges of gender-based violence, early marriages, teenage pregnancies, poverty, high levels of school dropouts, female genital mutilation, HIV/Aids and now the effects of Coronavirus (Covid-19),” Cheptegei said.
“We want to promote gender equality and equity, fight for women and girl child rights through engaging men/boys, eradicate poverty through income generation, boost gender and capacity building, promote social justice and tranquility and encourage girls to stay at school as well as fighting early child marriages, nurture talent in sports, establish schools, establish a sports academy, contribute to the establishment of health care facilities taking note that for every 1,000 women giving birth daily, 170 die due to pregnancy-related deaths,” he added.
Festo Majinjach, the Foundation’s Secretary to the board, said the dream of touching the lives of communities was now becoming a reality through the generosity of Cheptegei, good-hearted Ugandans and partners.
“This is a dream come true and our potential is great. I call upon everyone to generously contribute towards this dream and support the work of the Foundation to educate the needy, economically empower women and fight harmful traditional practices,” Majinjach said.
He added: “I appreciate First Lady Janet Museveni, the Embassy of Japan, MTN and all organisations that have supported us and are willing to support us to make it a better place.”
New Vision chief executive officer and managing director Don Wanyama was the chief guest at the function that started at 10am with a ceremony at the Foundation offices, and a hand-over of a washing machine to the maternity ward at Kapchorwa Hospital.
Mr Wanyama applauded Cheptegei for the effort to fight poverty, illiteracy, and FGM through Sports. He also made a contribution of 1 million Uganda shillings to the Foundation and pledged to pay the subscription every year starting with the launch date.
Other guests included the Bishop of Sebei Diocese Paul Kiptoo Masaba, Kween Woman MP Emma Rose Cherukut, then Kapchorwa RDC Tom Chesol, Uganda Athletics Federation president Domenic Otuchet, NN Running Team manager Jurrie Van De Velden, Wolrd and Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich, Kween LC5 chairperson Geofrey Chelogoi, and Kapchorwa Central Division chairperson George Toskin, among others.
Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation has played a crucial role in pushing for the realisation of the basic human rights for women, men, boys and girls since 2016 as a community-based organisation.
It organises the annual Christmas Run and it uses these platforms to engage parents to keep children in school, distribute scholastic materials, identify beneficiaries of scholarships, and engage men and women not to fight or subject each other to sexual gender based violence.[/vc_column_text][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”36px”][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”25px”][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”24px”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
