As a young boy in rural Kenya, Cheptot Mittat walked for miles to school each day. The journey was long, exhausting, and for many children in his community, simply too difficult to make. Those daily walks planted a dream that never left him.
“One day, I want to build a school in my community.”
It was an ambitious dream for a child growing up in a place where resources were scarce. At times, even Cheptot struggled to believe it could become reality.
“I would struggle believing my own dream because it looked impossible, but still I trusted God to make it possible.”
That dream followed him to African Christian College, where he discovered that transforming a community begins with a vision and the willingness to serve. His studies broadened his understanding of leadership and community development, giving him the confidence to believe that the dream he had carried since childhood might one day become possible.
“It was a bold step towards my transformation as we learnt about different ways in which we can bring development to our communities, and my school dream was closer than ever before,” he recalls.
After graduating, Cheptot returned home determined to build the school he had imagined for so many years. He had learned how to mobilise people, write proposals, and present ideas, but one challenge remained. There was no money to begin.
The dream seemed to stall.
When an opportunity came to serve as a chaplain at a church school, Cheptot accepted the position, even though it felt as though he was putting his own dream aside. Looking back, he now sees it differently.
“I honestly did not see that God was preparing me for the dream I have.”
Working in the school gave him practical experience in leadership, administration, and the daily realities of running an educational institution. At the same time, he began growing coffee and maize to support his family while continuing to hold on to the vision God had placed in his heart.
Then, on what seemed like an ordinary Sunday, everything changed.
A friend who knew about Cheptot’s lifelong dream visited the church. After hearing that the vision was still alive, he pledged his support, and the project finally began.
Today, that childhood dream stands as a thriving school serving 380 pupils. Remembering the long walks of his own childhood, Cheptot recently invested in a 51 seat school bus so that children in surrounding communities can travel safely to school.
His story is a testimony to patient faith, servant leadership, and perseverance. African Christian College helped equip him with the knowledge and practical skills to pursue his vision, but it was his unwavering commitment to serve his community that turned a distant dream into a lasting legacy. Today, every child who walks through the gates of his school is living proof that God can use one person’s faithful dream to transform the lives of many.
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