Nelly Cheboi: A Hero in the Making
Nelly Cheboi, a 29-year-old software engineer, has been crowned the 2022 CNN Hero of the Year for her remarkable work in creating computer labs for Kenyan schoolchildren.
In 2019, Cheboi quit her lucrative job in Chicago to pursue her passion for empowering underprivileged children in her home country with access to technology. Her nonprofit organization, TechLit Africa, has been instrumental in providing thousands of students across rural Kenya with donated, upcycled computers.
Cheboi’s journey began when she was a student at Augustana College in Illinois. Despite struggling to transcribe papers onto a laptop, she discovered computer science in her junior year and fell in love with it. She knew that she wanted to make a career out of it and bring it to her community.
After graduating, Cheboi worked in the software industry but soon realized the extent to which computers were being thrown away as companies upgraded their technology infrastructure. She decided to take matters into her own hands and began transporting donated computers back to Kenya, handling customs fees and taxes herself.
In 2018, Cheboi co-founded TechLit Africa with a fellow software engineer after both quit their jobs. The nonprofit accepts computer donations from companies, universities, and individuals, wipes and refurbishes the hardware, and ships it to Kenya, where it’s distributed to partner schools in rural communities.
These schools offer daily classes and frequent opportunities for students to learn from professionals, gaining skills that will help improve their education and better prepare them for future jobs. The organization currently serves 10 schools and aims to partner with 100 more within the next year.
Cheboi’s vision is to empower the next generation of Kenyans with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the digital age. She believes that education is the key to unlocking opportunities and that by bringing resources and skills to her community, she is opening up the world to them.
CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute
CNN’s 16th Annual ‘CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute’ celebrated the achievements of 10 individuals who are making a difference in their communities. The event featured over a dozen celebrity presenters, including Sofia Carson and Anderson Cooper.
The other honorees included Aidan Reilly, who co-founded the Farmlink Project to connect excess food from farms to those in need, and Debra Vines, whose nonprofit, The Answer Inc., supports families impacted by autism in underserved communities.
The show also honored two Georgia poll workers, Shaye Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman, whose lives were upended after false allegations of election fraud spread on social media.
The event also recognized two Young Wonders, Ruby Chitsey and Sri Nihal Tammana, who started initiatives to donate personal items to nursing home residents and recycle batteries, respectively.
CNN has partnered with GoFundMe to enable donations to this year’s Top 10 honorees. Subaru is matching all donations up to $50,000 for each of this year’s honorees through January 3, 2023.
