Agnes Tirop wins bronze in the Women’s 10,000 meters final at the World Athletics Championship in 2019.
For more than two years, Tirop’s Angels, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating gender-based violence (GBV), has been providing support and care for victims in Kenya. Last weekend, they unveiled a physical space to further serve their community in Iten. GBV survivors can find assistance, counseling, and the strength to reclaim their lives in this new facility.
On October 13, 2021, Agnes JebetTirop, a celebrated 25-year-old Kenyan athlete was discovered dead in her Iten residence, bearing stab wounds on her neck. Her tragic demise, which deeply shook the Kenyan athletics community and the sports world at large, occurred just a month after she shattered the women-only world record in the 10-kilometer road race in Germany. Additionally, Tirop, a 2015 World Cross Country Champion, had clinched bronze medals in the 10,000-meter event at both the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships.
Agnes Tirop (C) of Kenya celebrates on the podium after winning the ADIZERO: ROAD TO RECORDS Women's 10km in 30:01 minutes at Adidas HQ on September 12, 2021 in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for ADIDAS.
Tirop’s husband, 43-year-old Ibrahim Kipkemoi Rotich, was apprehended in Kenya following a manhunt that spanned a day. Their relationship was described as tumultuous, beginning when Tirop was still in high school, with Rotich reportedly isolating her from her family after they eloped. During Rotich’s ongoing court trial in November 2023, Tirop’s sister, Eve Jepngetich Tiropaccused him of frequent physical abuse, while a friend testified that Tirop had fled her matrimonial home out of fear for her safety and had expressed concerns that Rotich would cause her physical harm.
Ten days following her tragic passing, Tirop was laid to rest on what would have been her 26th birthday. Her funeral served as an avenue to denounce GBV and femicide in Kenya, and rallied Kenyan athletes in solidarity for an urgent, pervasive issue that cuts across Africa. Violah Lagat, Tirop’s friend and fellow elite runner, took the podium. “We are here because we are putting our sister to rest but we are also here to raise our voices,” Lagat said. “We need to be heard as women, we need people to understand that we are not tools, we are not anyone’s property.”
A center to unite and protect
After Tirop’s funeral, Lagat, along with Joan Chelimo, Kenyan and Romanian long-distance runner, other members of the Kenyan athletics community and Tirop’s family, joined forces to establish Tirop’s Angels. This nonprofit foundation stands united against domestic violence and femicide in Kenya, with a mission to raise awareness and educate young girls about the pressing issue.
Since its inception, Tirop’s Angels has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing a sanctuary for victims and amplifying awareness. In February, 2022, Tirop’s Angels hosted two workshop sessions focusing on GBV for young girls at Tirop’s memorial. Additionally, later that month, the organization forged a significant partnership, becoming the official collaborator of the French Embassy Olympic Day race held in Iten, Kenya.
In an Instagram post capturing the opening of its center, Tirop’s Angels declared, “Our office in Iten is officially open to serve the community in advocacy and counseling. This facility is a safe space where victims of GBV can run to, where young people can connect to create a network to unite, protect and get empowered. Together, we will end GBV.”
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