Infinix powers Cheptegei to digitize Sebei education

Joshua Cheptegei admits he faces huge pressure before and during any major race.

 Arguably Uganda’s greatest ever, the long-distance runner Cheptegei has taken on a philanthropy path to change his community in Kapchorwa district as well as the Sebei and Elgon region.

Pressure every race

Now each of race results chisel through to the common man in these areas and the country at large. “It gives me a privilege to work harder, to work smartly to achieve the goal, because my success is not mine alone. It is for the community, for the country,” Cheptegei says.

When not training, he is now following his projects which help his community. On this random Sunday, Cheptegei is clad in a suit and right in the compound of his property - the Joshua Cheptegei Junior School in Kapchorwa town.

He is preparing to attend a church dedication service for 86 pupils of his school set to sit their Primary Leaving Examinations. The education facility, formerly Kapchorwa Mountain Primary School, was acquired in 2020 and it has been turned around by the three-time world 10000-metre champion through the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation (Jocdef).

Digitizing Sebei region

On the same day, Cheptegei first received a consignment of scholastic materials and brand new laptops worth $12000 (Shs44m) from smartphone and tech company Infinix.

After winning the 10000-metre gold medal from the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships in Hungary, Cheptegei attracted Infinix and became a brand ambassador.

His image rights are equally pushing to change the education landscape in his home area. “I have broken a lot of records but today, I have broken another,” reacted Cheptegei after receiving the digital materials from Infinix’s marketing manager Isabella Ainembabazi.

“You have been a hero not only to us but to the entire country. That is teaching people to be like you. We know that our future leaders, sportsmen, the entire future is in your hands,” Ainembabazi told Cheptegei in front of a handful of pupils.

“We pray that at the start of our donation, our laptops, you are able to learn the digital tools and be able to fit into the work world and do very good jobs. We are working with partners to offer the internet,” she told the pupils.

Laptop first sight

Cheptegei wants pupils at his school to be competitive with the rest of the world. “Some of us were not privileged because at our times, we went to schools and there was nothing like a laptop or even a smartphone. My first time touching a laptop was probably even in campus or high school, so they are more privileged.

“These laptops are going down with this space as a way of changing and transforming, digitalizing the school. And for us, don’t take this lightly because of this uniqueness that comes with it,” noted Cheptegei, who won the 10000-metre Olympic gold at the Paris Games in France on August 2.

“As a world champion, I believe that our learners are going to have equal opportunities with the urban setting schools like Kampala and others and also compete favorably with the other pupils in different parts of the world,” he added.

Cheptegei is the first Ugandan athlete to scale up philanthropy, walking in the footsteps of other athletics names like Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge and Tegla Loroupe.

Jocdef covers education in the Sebei area through 120 scholarships at the school. The school has grown ten-fold to 742 pupils and it is currently third best in Kapchorwa district.

Investing back home

“The school had less than 40 learners when he took over in 2020. Through our managing director, the world champion, the school has improved not only in numbers but also welfare of the children,” remarked a happy Isaac Kwemboi, the school’s head teacher.

When Cheptegei won 5000-metre gold and 10000-metre silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the Japanese Embassy rewarded him $92000 (Shs345m) through Jocdef from the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) for communities.

Jocdef added nearly Shs100m and constructed a two-storeyed multi-purpose hall and library at the school in 2023. A year later, Cheptegei had added a big three-floor building with 19 classrooms and six offices and another two-storeyed structure for the dormitories, all worth billions.

“It’s about writing a story from home, trying to do great things at home and inspire our community by investing back home here. This story can be unique and can also be a learning curve for most people who when they are successful, they want to live in their locality.

"They want to go to the cities, they want to travel abroad and do investments abroad. So for us, we have to go and evolve together with their community. And by doing this, we feel like we can bring quality education. We can inspire people,” he added.

To push for clean energy which fits the line of environmental conversation with Jocdef’s partners United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and TotalEnergies, Cheptegei is currently constructing another flat at the school which will have a sizable dining and smart cooking kitchen.

ABOUT JOCDEF

Goal: Transform communities using the tool of sport

Director: Joshua Cheptegei

School Project: Joshua Cheptegei Junior School

Athletics Project: Jocdef Athletics Club

Athletics Events: Elgon Half-Marathon, Cheptegei Christmas Kids Run

School Pupils: 742

Education Scholarships: 120

Junior Runners: 60

Partners: Infinix, TotalEnergies, Stanbic Bank, UNDP, MTN, Curre Sport Safaris

CHEPTEGEI AT A GLANCE

Date of birth: September 12, 1996

Major Races: Half-Marathon, Marathon

Personal Bests: 21km (59:21), 42km (2:08:59)

Coach: Addy Ruiter

Manager: Jurrie van der Velden

Kit Sponsor: Nike

CHEPTEGEI IN 2024

Oct 20: Delhi Half Marathon (1st, 59:46)

Sept 22: Dam tot Damloop (2nd, 45:18)

Aug 2: Paris Olympics 10000m Final (1st, 26:43.14)

May 30: Bislett Games 5000m (9th, 12:51.94)

May 17: LA Grand Prix 5000m (3rd, 12:52.38)

Mar 30: World X-Country (6th, 28:24)

Mar 16: Laredo 10K (2nd, 25:53)

CHEPTEGEI IN 2023

Dec 3: Valencia Marathon (37th, 2:08:59)

Aug 20: Budapest Worlds 10000m Final (1st, 27:51.42)

June 30: Lausanne DL (2nd, 12:41.61)

Jun 2: Florence DL (4th, 12:53.81)

Mar 19: New York Half-Marathon (2nd, 1:02:09)

Feb 18: World X-Country (3rd, 29:37)

CHEPTEGEI IN 2022

Dec 31: NN San Silvestre 10K (1st, 27:09)

Jul 24: Oregon Worlds 5000m Final (9th, 13:13.12)

Jul 21: Oregon Worlds 5000m Heat 1 (4th, 13:24.47)

Jul 17: Oregon Worlds 10000m Final (1st, 27:27.43)

May 27: Prefontaine Classic 5000m (1st, 12:57.99)

Mar 6: Cannes 10K (1st, 26:49)