Dennis Were, a rising star with Kenyan Red Cross

Dennis is one of our graduates, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Health Promotion, as a recipient of the Leonard Wandili Memorial Scholarship. Here’s his story – in written words, and in his own voice.

My name is Dennis Kalasa Were. Currently I'm a student pursuing a master's degree in health promotion at Jaramogi, Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology part time.

I was part of the CES scholarship program, where I was appointed to do my BSc in Public Health from 2015, up to 2019.

Apart from this support, and doing my BSc, I was also supported to do my leadership diploma. This is an extra support apart from the support I received in terms of funding my BSc program, and the two have been instrumental in shaping my career growth.

After I graduated in 2019, my first job was volunteering with Kenyan Red Cross. Later on, I secured my first job working with Community Initiatives for Rural Development – CIFORD Kenya. I started as a community development officer, supporting communities doing community health interventions. I worked there for one year and six months.

Then I transitioned to being a county coordinator within Kenya Red Cross, from May 2021, up to September 2022. In September I was again promoted to being a program officer supporting health projects, within Kenya Red Cross. I’m currently based in Meru, in Turkana County, supporting health projects in refugee camps.

In this journey I owe my success to CES Kenya. This has been a wonderful journey, and eye opening. I hope to see more to just ensure that I'm positioning myself to be a tool to provide solutions within the community, while also being keen on growing professionally. I also want to be on track to understand the dynamics within the communities, and touch lives through my my work.

So I decided to go back to class, to ensure that I'm in line with the evolving world and see to it that the skills and the capacity I have, that I'm able to serve program related needs, to provide solutions to program related challenges or issues that arise. So I appreciate the support that I've received from the BSc in 2019, and currently being supported to further my studies.

I hope that I will also be able to touch lives. I know currently I'm supporting my extended family, my siblings to also continue their studies. But I hope that this does not end with my family, to ensure that once I'm stabilized, I will also be able to touch lives. I’m where I am because CES provided an opportunity for me to be empowered and be best positioned to also compete with other students and with my peers across the world. I believe that education is a perfect equalizer, and only happens when you have an opportunity, or when you have someone who will trust you, and invest all those resources in you and be able to empower you. And the person I'm talking about is CES, who decided to take a chance and invest their resources in me. And the results are visible that way because of the support. Thank you so much.