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CNN
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Growing up in poverty in rural Kenya, Nelly Cheboi watched her single mother, who had only completed fifth grade, work tirelessly so Cheboi and her three sisters could attend school.

From an early age, Cheboi realized that her family, along with others like hers in their village, was stuck in a cycle that left them little hope.

“She was working really hard, and I was still going to bed hungry. I was still sent home for tuition. I was still living in a house that was flooding,” said Cheboi, now 29. “Looking at the poverty in the household, looking at the community and suffering, it just became so clear that I needed to do something.”

Cheboi attended college on scholarship in the United States, worked odd jobs to support her family, and discovered her passion for…