When Emily and Bernard Korir met while studying in high school in Kenya, they never imagined that years later, they would be featured in Forbes Magazine for an idea they once shared and dismissed as unachievable.
Bernard, a real estate developer, attended Njoro Boys High School in Nakuru County, while Emily attended Kapropita Girls High School in Baringo County.
“When we first set eyes on each other during an inter-school function in the 80s, we just exchanged smiles and from there we kept on talking even after school,” Emily said.
In 1994, Emily received a scholarship to study in Japan but ultimately ended up in Australia. However, in 2002, she relocated to the United States after receiving an invitation from Korir, an Australian-based businessman.
In the same year, they got married but chose to return to Australia, believing it was the ideal place to raise their children.
Emily has a background and passion for Human Resource Management, and she, along with her partner, conceived the idea of assisting individuals with disabilities since their high school days.
“I grew up sickly and was being taken care of by my grandmother and mother. That is how the idea of helping the disabled always walked with me,” she said.
She mentioned that they initially began on a small scale, but on October 18, 2023, Forbes Magazine reported that the BET Group, under her leadership, has transformed Australia’s disability sector and received international recognition.
The group was founded in 2016. Four years earlier, Emily suffered a stroke, which served as a reminder that she needed to pursue the idea she had carried with her since childhood.
“To be honest, I want to thank my husband as he has been the silent hero in my amazing story. When I suffered a stroke, he stood by me and we walked the journey together. Were it not for him then I would not be here and of course, BET Group could have been just a dream,” she said.
She mentioned that sometimes she wonders how she would have been able to recover from months of immobility, during which she couldn’t write, walk, or even talk, if it weren’t for Bernard.
Forbes Magazine reported that the BET Group consistently delivers high-quality housing and support services to individuals with disabilities throughout Australia.
According to the 2023 statistics, approximately 4.4 million Australians are living with some type of disability.
“Yet, the availability of accessible, high-quality housing remains inadequate,” the Forbes Magazine reports.
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