Maxin Chepkoech in her shop. Photos/ Phanice Chepkemboi.

Despite of her being a standard eight drop out, Maxin Chepkoech who is now a borne again Christian has managed to release eight gospel songs among them, Twende mbele,Unanipenda,Nakuinua,Pokea sifa among others. She is a business woman in Kapsokwony where she has a shop besides being a pupil in class eight.

Coming from a family of four children, three girls and one boy, Maxin is the second borne child of Mrs. Rose Mutenyo  Naibei who is a single mother from Chemwesus village, Mt.Elgon district.

She schooled at Chemwesus primary school in Mt.Elgon up to standard eight, but her mother could not afford to raise her registration fee, that’s when she dropped out of school to help her mother with house chores. She even went to the extent of being a house help in order to help her mother financially.

In 2003 she decided to get married, but she was not blessed with a child, that’s when her problems with her husband begun that led to separation in 2009. She decided to venture into business of buying and selling maize and second hand clothes.

Maxin says that she always had a talent of singing, but she didn’t know where to record them. In 2010 she decided to go for a life changing bible school where Christians and friends helped her to produce the song twende mbele.  “ I read the bible and prayed a lot so when sleeping the words usually come automatically on my mind, so I just wake up and write them, I don’t struggle searching for words to write, it just comes I think it’s a blessing from God and I know He will not let me down,” she says.

Most of her songs are in Swahili but she says that soon she will release a video for the songs and she is also planning to produce songs in Sabaot language. She sings in weddings, funerals, and in conferences but she says that she always sings for free because most of the people in Mt.Elgon don’t see singing as a job. “People like my songs but I will urge them to recognize us and start paying us for any performance.”

Maxin in class (black top)

Maxin who has enrolled in adult education in Kapsokwony expects to sit for her KCPE exams this year and she says that she now has a chance to get education. “I hope to pass my KCPE exams so that I can join secondary school in order to realize my dreams of becoming a journalist,” says Maxin.

Maxin owns a shop in Kapsokwony and she says that she has a girl who helps her at the shop as she goes to school. “I will urge other young people to use their talents wisely and to go to school because without education you cannot go anywhere,” She says that if plan A has failed, try plan B as she has done by enrolling in adult education.