With Grateful Hearts
By Fr. Silas Kemboi, SJ
Greetings from Molo, the land of endless possibilities!
There is an African saying: “The snail may be slow, but it never moves backward.” This proverb beautifully captures the steady progress that the Proposed Hekima University (PHU) continues to make. Every small step brings us closer to our vision.
At the moment, we are eagerly preparing for the first-ever PHU Marathon. We hope and pray that this inaugural event will be a great success and another milestone in our journey.
In my last update, I wrote with great optimism that our bachelor’s degree program would begin this August. However, reality has reminded us that some wheels turn more slowly than others. We are still awaiting the government’s inspection of our facilities before we go ahead. While this delay is disappointing, we take comfort in knowing that, like the snail, we are not moving backward. Our vision remains alive, and we continue to move forward.
On 1st August, we celebrated the graduation of 20 students who successfully completed our six-month Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (IEP). The program equips the learners with the mind-set, skills, and confidence to identify challenges, generate innovative solutions, and develop them into viable entrepreneurial ventures. Throughout the program, participants are accompanied and mentored as they refine their ideas into projects capable of creating lasting social and economic impact.
Recognizing that great innovations are often born through collaboration, we encourage our learners to work in teams. The second cohort developed five promising projects:
- Bio folia Gold – Transforming food waste into organic farm fertilizer.
- Baby Diapers Improvement – Developing more affordable, sustainable, and user-friendly diapers.
- JEMAS Cereal Store and Bank – A community-based grain storage and food security initiative.
- Rescue Centre for Trauma Healing and Socio-Economic Empowerment – Supporting healing, resilience, and economic recovery for vulnerable communities.
- Solar Thermal Wall Room Heater – An energy-efficient heating solution designed for cold regions.
We are delighted that, through the generosity of our friends and partners, the graduates of this second cohort have access to seed funding to help transform their ideas into reality. Over the next three months, before welcoming Cohort Three, we will continue accompanying them as they test, refine, and grow their ventures.
We are also planning an IEP Fundraising Breakfast in October to support the next cohort of aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs. The exact date will be communicated soon. We warmly invite you to remain connected with us and, if possible, to become part of this exciting journey of forming young leaders and change-makers.
To our companions, partners, alumni, benefactors, and friends of IEP and PHU, thank you for believing in this mission and for walking with us every step of the way. Your encouragement, generosity, and prayers make this work possible.
May God continue to bless you abundantly.
