So 2017 was one of the best years I’ve had and don’t get the wrong impression,2017 was also the year I faced most challenges, I faced most difficult decisions in life it is the year and its also the year I made a lot of progress and success.2017 is the year I decided to believe in myself more, the year I challenged myself more, the year I decided that I will not crawl after my destiny, I will not walk after my destiny I will run after my destiny, I will rise past the fear, past the negativity past the crowd, it’s the year I decided that failure is not going to bring me down but its going to act as a stepping stone to my success ,that I am going to embrace failure and that I am going to use my failures to raise me to higher successes.
Walt Disney said
If you can think it, you can achieve it.
So this is my 2017 all the way from January to December.
Ted Roosevelt said
Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.
January 2017
Planning for 2017
In January 2017 I took time to plan for my year, I decided that I was going to do this project I have always been procrastinating on due to the challenges I had created in my mind like lack of funds and personnel I decided 2017 I was going to do it and challenges were no going to stop me.
So 2017 I planned for Project ALPHA (a 4 month cancer sensitization project). I also planned a short project dubbed Save A Life, Save A World project (a 10 day project on distribution of condoms and creating awareness on AIDS and other STDs)
TV interview by Africa 24 TV
So after planning I slowly started implementing my project especially on project Alpha and before I know it I was called to a TV interview by Africa 24 TV. Well I used this opportunity to talk about my project on cancers. This pushed me to wanting to do more to wanting to be more.
TV interview by Africa 24 TV
February 2017
Save A Life, Save A World project
February had a lot of activities in it. For one I looked for about 53 relevant institutions to help me carry out this project .the project entailed creating sensitization and awareness and teaching individuals one on one in Kenyatta university and its neighboring community on Sexual transmitted infections and on HIV AIDS and on condom use. We also distributed condoms to every individual we talked to.
Project alpha shoot 1
So by this time we had created very strong social media awareness on project alpha and had a relatively big following and impressions online on posts related to project alpha. We had also collaborated with 5 photographers and so we decided to organize a thematic photo shoot where we were to teach al participants on cancer before proceeding to the photo shoot. The photo shoot was a big success and we managed to showcase Haus Valeria Designs and the designer came to latter win Kenya Fashion Awards (KFA) Student Designer of the Year and also Eddy Muyishime designs who also won KFA awards.
project ALPHA high school mentorship.
We also got to do mentorship at Kenyatta University during the career week to high school students who visited the university. This was inspiring and created this amazing feeling of inspiring a young generation towards success.
WORLD CANCER DAY CELEBRATIONS
Together with the initiative team, we were invited to the world cancer day celebrations in Nairobi. We actively participated and it’s at this time that I managed to network with cancer related organizations in Kenya. Well despite the fact that I collected almost 18 potential organizations that could sponsor my project then ,only one organization saw us and believed in what we were doing and pledged to support us, this was Sante’ Reva Organization.
Mr And Miss Status Kenyatta University competitions.
In February I got to compete in this beauty pageant competitions where I became second runners up. This was a great moment for me well because modeling is my passion, it’s something that I always wanted to do from way back and now that I got this title I was going to use it to inspire people and to inspire change.
March 2017
We are not human being, we are human becomings,
(We are always becoming something transforming either positively or negatively)
Project alpha shoot 2 and 3
After a very successful first photo shoot ,we received a lot of requests and people wanting to become a part of project ALPHA team, wanting to participate and this then pushed us to organize for a second shoot. The attendance was bigger and better with ore designers also coming on board. This was very very inspiring and accomplishing.
Featured on the Daily Nation Magazine in their pull out MyNetwork
This by far is one of the biggest accomplishments in my life, to feature on a nationwide print media .this came as a result of project alpha and the Save A Life,Save A World project. By this time these projects had already had a very big impact and it’s because of this that we managed to get the feature. This feature really helped us in terms of marketing our brand and what we do and after the feature we had a significantly large following on our social media platforms.
April 2017
A-2 day project ALPHA workshop.
So in April when first phase of project alpha was deemed to end we ended it in a major way. We held a two day workshop in collaboration with Sante Reva and Kenyatta university school of public health. In the workshop we taught 120 people on self diagnosis, signs and symptoms and treatment options of prostate, breast testicular and cervical cancer. The workshop was once again a major success.
Showcased in the Eco Fashion event at Michael Joseph Center
I was also privileged to be among the models who got to showcase eco friendly designs from designers all over the country in an event organized by the initiative team.
Visited Gituamba Village with the school of public health Kenyatta university.
I formed part of the team that visited Gituamba Village in Kasarani sub county Nairobi Kenya to help in clean up of the village and to create awareness on clean environment and water for drinking. This activity was very engaging and involved a lot effort to ensure we had a clean village at the end of the day. During this activity I saw just how much the world needed people to bring them information and to make them aware of the various health aspects. This inspired me to continue even further with what i had already stated and made my faith and my focus on non communicable diseases even stronger.
May 2017
Nominated and won KUSA awards.
In may I was nominated for the KUSA (Kenyatta university student association) awards. An award which identified and awarded amazing comrades during outstanding activities in the university. I was nominated as KUSA Exemplary Deed award and KUSA Exemplary Entrepreneur Of The Year. Well I managed to win KUSA Exemplary Entrepreneur Of The Year for developing Stowelink and for the projects we had so far done.
Industrial Attachment
During this month I also began my attachment at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching And Referral Hospital. it was a nice experience finally learning how to put the practical skills acquired in school in the field .
Developed blue prints for myHeart_Ke
Well after finalizing on project alpha we set to do another project. i developed the plan of how this new project will flow to its completion. myHeart_Ke is a cardiovascular health and cardiovascular diseases sensitization project.
June 2017
GBVRC visit to Highway Primary School
Gender based and recovery center of JOOTRH hospital where I was currently attached visited highway primary school. On the visit I was one of the facilitators and we talked to the students on gender based violence and on rape and the way they responded to our visit drove me to want to start on the myHeart_Ke project.
Trading.
During this month I started self education on trading. i also developed the habit of waking up at 4 every morning too study trading and get to understand more about the market prices and the stocks market. This is something I am still learning and hopefully from next year ill start practicing.
Recognized by the One Young World Forum
Earlier in the year I had made applications to the one young world programme for a scholarship to attend the2017 summit at Bogotta Colombia.One Young World gathers young leaders around the world to help them make lasting connections and create positive change. Well the selection was very rigorous and involved a lot of steps before getting selected to the summit. From Kenya only one person was to be selected and I managed to reach the second last stage just before the winner who was to be selected for the scholarship. I wasn’t selected but the fact that I got that far really encouraged me, maybe this was not my day to go and that if I doubled my efforts id stand better chances of attending it the next time the scholarship was open.
July 2017
MyHeart_Ke official launch and Kisumu county tour
This was a very busy month for one attachment was still on going and also in this month I decided to start myHeart_Ke project, Kisumu county tour.
We visited several institutions the community barazas and churches. The most prominent gatherings we visited included
Greenview Academy visit
Xaverian primary school visit
Kasagam high school visit
Nyamasaria high school visit
August 2017
MyHeart_Ke Kisumu county tour grand conclusion – Lions high school visit
We concluded the Kisumu county tour in lions high school where we talked to our biggest audience of over 800 students in a 3 hour interactive sensitization talk. This was very fulfilling and very inspiring.
MyHeart_Ke Poetry Contest.
During this month we also started a country wide poetry contest where poets would compose poems on cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular health. This was a very excellent means if attracting young people to participate in composing and in reading about cardiovascular health therefore spreading the message further on cardiovascular diseases. The competition took two months and ended in September.
The Souls Accapela recording
During this period an accapela group which I teach decided to do our first recording of our music.(I bet most of you didn’t know that I sing, well I do I teach music too) you can find our music on our Youtube page @the souls accapella.
September 2017
MyHeart_Ke poetry contest winners.
Winners of the poetry contest were announced this month and the winning poems posted on our website.
Art And Soul Coverseal Project.
Coverseal is one of the photography brands that partnered with us during project alpha. This month he was having his photography project art and soul which I played a major role as one of the directors, to ensure the project was a success.
Recognition from Y-TATAS
In this month I was also recognized by Y-TATAS (Youths Taking Action To Achieve Sustainability) a partner of the UN situated in Uganda. We were recognized as one of the organizations in Kenya which provide youth friendly service and are working to achieve SDG 3 on health especially on the non communicable diseases.
October 2017
Visit to Bondeni Childrens home
We formed part of the partners that ensured that the visit to Bondeni Childrens Home in Athi River organized by House Of Legacy was a success. The visit was so so inspiring, just hearing stories of the children their and seeing the hope in their eyes and the hard work they put everyday all day, was overwhelmingly inspiring.
Conducting training of trainers workshop and holding world stroke day Kenyatta university chapter
During this month as part of myHeart_Ke we carried out a one day training of trainers workshop in Kenyatta university. We had guest cardiologists come from Liberia and Malawi and they taught 150 students staff and community members on cardiovascular health and well being. During this event we also commemorated world stroke day Kenyatta university chapter with guests coming from stroke association of Kenya.
Launch of the myHeart_Ke Mobile Application.
The very first version of myHeart_Ke mobile application which we had been developing for quite sometime was launched on this month. The app contains info on cardiovascular health and the preventive aspects of cardiovascular health. You can download it on Playstore by searching myHeart_Ke. This is one of my best achievements ever I take pride in the challenges and management of the app knowing that in a few years time this will be one of the biggest health apps of our times.
Formed part of those showcasing for Smile Child Event
Smile child is an organization founded to create sensitization and empower children from the streets and from the orphanages. I was part of the models that showcased in this event using fashion to create awareness and raise funds to help children from the street and the orphanages.
November 2017
World stroke day Kenya
Stowelink formed part of the partners who ensured world stroke day –Kenya chapter was a success. It was great being part of this amazing team and I would not say this were it not for the director of non communicable diseases in the ministry of health Dr Loius Nyanjau ,she saw our projects and she had a very strong belief in what we do and what we stand for as far as non communicable diseases are concerned. We managed to bring 3 buses full and a total of 150 official stowelink registered members to help mark the world stroke day.
Part of the winning team-team Stevenchy.
As the official stylist to an award winning photographer Stevenchy Photography, this year we won Pwani International Fashion Week and awards as the photographer of the year. This was a big accomplishment for Stevenchy and I was proud to be one of the people in his corner.
Lost the school of public health congress persons seat
I wasn’t contesting for the post, however Stowelink Inc’s coordinator was contesting for the post and as Stowelink Inc we were fully behind him. Well we might not have won this time round but this did not discourage us, it gave us more vision and hope that we gotta work harder and better to correct our mistakes so that during the next election, we may win the election.
Nominated for House Of Legacy Awards.
House of legacy is an organization that empowers arts and supports upcoming and prominent artists in the field of modeling music and photography. The organization empowers the youth and creates a platform for them to be heard. So when I was nominated for House Of Legacy Awards 2017, I was so so happy and ready for the task that lay ahead was nominated as Inspirational Model Of The Year and Stowelink Inc as the Brand Of The Year.
December 2017
Won house of legacy awards.
I won house of legacy awards as the inspirational model of the year for my works as a model and also because of using modeling as a platform to create awareness on pertinent health issues that affect the youth and the society at large. I felt so so happy receiving the awards and as I said when I was receiving the award, SUCCESS IN ANYTHING AT ALL CANNOT BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT OBSESSION.
Participated in the Fashion Couture Affair 3-Vintage Edition
This was in my 2017 resolutions, to participate in Fashion Couture’s event. Well I missed out on the first event they had in February and I got to try it out in December and fortunately I was chosen to be among the main models who participated in the Fashion Couture Affair 3 Vintage Edition. Definately one of the happy moments in 2017.
TV Interview at KUTV
This month i was also hosted at the KUTV television station on the Wednesday edition of the morning breakfast show. On the interview I got to talk about cardiovascular health and what Stowelink has done and plan to do in the upcoming year. The interview was amazing and is now on Youtube on KUTV Morning Breakfast Youtube page incase you missed the live interview.
Shine A Light On Slavery Poetry Contest
During this period where modern slavery posed a big challenge in Africa we decided to use poetry to spread the word on modern day slavery and help stop this heinous act. Winning poems will be put on our blog next year but you can read them on our Facebook page @stowelink inc.
Music tours with the Souls Accapella.
This is what is currently keeping me busy. We have inspired a lot of lives through good music and currently wehave been invited to various gatherings to sing out loud. Tomorrow you can catch us at Laos in Kisumu and on Sunday at Maraba in Kakamega, western province.
Birthday loading…
Off course my birthday 31st December, off course I’ll be receiving all kinds of presents from you. On this day I just want to remind the world that everybody dies and its only a few that live, so the question is are you living, or merely existing.
2018 is going to be a great year for us, we’ve crossed bridges together, we’ve stood together against a lot of obstacles and in 2018 I want to trust that together we going to achieve greater heights climb bigger mountains and reach higher levels of success after all
WE HAVE NOT COME THIS FAR TO ONLY CAME THIS FAR.
Stay inspired, stay hopeful, stay strong.
Stowelink Inc 