Kelly Sitambasi: Turning pain into purpose

Kelly Sitambasi: Turning pain into purpose (Photo: K. Sitambasi)

When Kelly Sitambasi was first diagnosed with cancer, she was just a child preparing for her KCPE exams. "I remember trying to go to school but ending up back home because I was too unwell to stay in class," she recalls. "I started chemotherapy while still preparing for my exams and I was terrified."

That terror was deepened not only by the uncertainty of her illness but also by the loneliness. "I told my classmates and my best friend, who is still my friend to this day and I just remember feeling so scared. I didn't know what that meant for me."