I am Tim Kipchumba

I was born in Kapkomora, a small village in Sambirir, Elgeyo Marakwet County. My childhood was that of a typical village boy, walking barefoot to school and herding the family cattle on weekends and during holidays. We never slept hungry but we did not have much; my dad was the sole breadwinner and earned $30 a month. We were greatly affected by cattle rustling. I recall in my childhood spending some nights outside our home because of fear of being attacked. I was fortunate to win a merit-based scholarship from World Vision that allowed me to join Chebara Boys High School and in 2004, I secured a Guinness Scholarship to Strathmore University to study a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Information Technology.

I can truly say that these scholarships changed the course of my life.

Some years after completing my studies, I joined the team I was working with to found Questworks, an award-winning Engineering Procurement and Construction company helping clients deliver their infrastructure, real estate and energy projects in a sustainable and cost-efficient way. The company’s projects have won prestigious awards such as the Presidential Green Building Award in 2012, the Private Sector Renewable Energy Award in 2015, the Most Improved in Green Building Award and the Special Projects Delivery Award in 2018 and NCA Contractor of the Year Award in 2018. I am also a co-developer of ParallelFour, a brand of on-campus and near-campus student housing and Alkira Residences, a multifamily development in Lavington, Nairobi.

Positive role models played a critical role in inspiring me while in high school. This is why I am the president, co-author, speaker and mentor at mentorthon.com, a foundation focused on mentoring students in high school especially from at-risk areas. Our first book “Unstoppable: Achieving Excellence in High School and Beyond” has inspired thousands of young Kenyans to overcome financial and social limitations in pursuit of their dreams.

I consider my life as a testimony that God is alive. That it is possible for our lives to change. That when people are given a chance, they can do amazing things . That education can be a transformer, and effort goes a long way.

I want to make it my life’s work to create 1,000,000 jobs and an environment that opens up opportunities for the young people of our country.