Faith Chepkorir is the reigning Miss Kalenjin crown holder
Before being crowned Miss Kalenjin, you reigned as Miss Bomet 2014/15. What did you learn during the reign?
I learnt a lot of things. Interacting with beauties from different counties made me understand and appreciate various cultures because we all come from different backgrounds.
I acquired leadership skills through opportunities that came with the title, and most importantly it marked the birth of Empowering Young Mothers (Eyom), an organisation that I run.
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I acquired leadership skills through opportunities that came with the title, and most importantly it marked the birth of Empowering Young Mothers (Eyom), an organisation that I run.
What does Eyom deal with?
It is an organisation that seeks to bring sustainable development to young mothers — a special group of people that the society tends to forget and burden with stereotypes. By empowering them, we will for sure be eradicating poverty, through reduction of the dependency syndrome.
Young mothers can be vulnerable and a lot of times end up missing out on good opportunities in life that can transform not only their lives, but also those around them. Although Eyom is still in toddler’s stage, we are slowly achieving big wins, especially through capacity building and networking.
What inspired you to work with young mothers?
Teenage pregnancies are rampant in my community. A lot of focus is put on establishing the root cause of the problem and not on the victims who in many instances are neglected. These young mothers are raising ‘leaders of tomorrow’ yet no one is empowering them for the great task. This is where Eyom comes in.
There are many young mothers succeeding in different levels. For instance Miss Baringo 2019 Rose Jerotich is a good example of an empowered young mother. She is Eyom’s brand ambassador for her story is encouraging. She was a laughing stalk in the community, but now she’s a role model in Baringo.
How was your journey to winning the Miss Kalenjin 2019 title?
It all started as a joke when someone asked me if I could represent Bomet county in the Miss Kalenjin beauty pageant competition. I consulted people close to me and they asked me to go for it.
After going through the Mission and Vision of the Kalenjin Women Foundation (KWF) that seek to support women endevours, I saw a great opportunity to push for Eyom’s agenda. I prayed for victory and gave my best. The rest, like they say, is history.
How will you realign Eyom’s vision with your new title?
KWF is giving us a platform to carry out our charity initiatives; so all contestants from different counties also have the same opportunity. The end goal is to empower both the girl-child and boy-child and that would be a real score both for Eyom and myself as an individual.
What lessons can young girls learn from young leaders like you?
Consistency and hard work are key to success. We all have the ability to transform our situations and make our lives better. Life has never been easy, especially from my side.
I schooled through the help of Community Development Fund and Higher Education Loans Board because I was thirsty for education. So, everything is possible.
What are some of the fashion lessons you have learnt so far?
Don’t dress to impress; dress to represents the true you. While at it, finding your body type is important, as it will save you a lot of embarrassments and unnecessary expenses.
When it comes to make-up, less is more and getting make-up that blends with your skin tone is important because a product may work for others, but you.
How do you stay in shape?
I go to the gym and sometimes jog around the estate.
Fashion tips during this cold weather?
Layering is now becoming a trend. From turtlenecks, jackets, coats to scarfs, one has to stay prepared for the worst. Boots are also great, but it all boils down to pairing it with the perfect pieces.
