Sharon Chepkemoi

Bold question: What if children and youth from low income households and marginalized communities were supported to access quality education, knowledge and mentorship to explore opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Path to Metis: Having always been an inquisitive child, Emma was a curious learner. She attributes her stellar academic performance in primary and secondary school to the teachers and mentors who readily exposed her to opportunities, new knowledge and the mentorship required for holistic development.

After completing secondary school education and exploring an education in Engineering, she found her passion in Software development and learnt how to develop computer software programs. Afterwards she worked as the Student Experience and Support Lead at Moringa School, a leading tech education institution. Her role involved supporting youth from low income homes throughout their time as students in the institution so that they can succeed through the 6 month intensive program, in spite of the challenges they face. Afterwards she transitioned to The Fursa Trust, a community organization based in Deep Sea slums that aims to equip children and youth to live a life of choice and opportunity regardless of their backgrounds. Her role as the Program Coordinator involves planning and mobilization of resources to ensure smooth running of the afterschool and holiday clubs among other administrative duties. Emma also volunteers as a mentor with various organizations including Edumed Trust to fundraise and provide mentorship to the talented highschool students who are beneficiaries of the organization. She has also conducted several week-long Math and Literacy learning workshops in Siyiapei Children’s Home, where she mentors and teaches the children foundation skills and knowledge in Math, English and computer literacy.

Unless there is an intentional effort to make such support available to children, especially those from low income homes and other marginalized communities, many children and youth will miss out on many opportunities that are available to empower them to access a better quality of life.

More about Sharon:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-emma/