BEGINNING
What do you do at age 6 - 12 years when.....
1. You have no access to food and go without it for 2 - 3 days?
2. Love football and want to enjoy the game but no football field or a balls to use?
3. Your family cannot afford to pay for your Secondary School fees and you are forces to stay out of school for one year?
These questions described my childhood but it all happened for a reason, the best I could be for my neigbours was a cobbler and nothing else. To them I could not even make it to a secondary school as no one in my family had made it beyong form two. Despite passing my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education scoring 312 marks, no efforts were made to enroll me to a Secondary School. As they say the Lord had plans for us even before we were born, I made it to Secondary School and later to University.
How I left Nakuru County and travelled to my rural home in August 2004 only to be invited to a Scout Camp in September 2004 where I was connected to a Sponsor (Gavin Stranchard from the United Kingdom) who sponsored my Secondary School, I cant tell but I have an idea of how it all happen through my Scout Leader Mr. Oriaro Francis.
The journey through Secondary School was special in itsef, I almost drop out at form 3 when issues came up and fees was not paid on time, I was to be sent back to form three during the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education but again miracle happens, thank to my mum and Timu Rafiki for pulling it through (maybe a cow was sold to keep me in school, I dont know).
Three things I will rember at this stage of my life, (1) I learnt how to ride a bicycle yet my family did not own one, (2) I learnt some business skills in primary school, Selling Mandazis, Jeggerry and Kerosine. Thanks again to mum for facilitating this. (3) I learned how to make a football and mobilize my fellow young people to use what we had to enjoy what we wanted. Overall I had a good time despite the challenges, I think it all shapped me to be who I am today. In Primary School I think I never even had a dream, all I wanted to be was a tout and that was how far I could. Major achievement was passing my KCPE and securing sponsorship for my Secondary School after staying out of school for one year.
MIDDLE
No one belives anything until they see it, this was my breakthrough, Joining Secondary School after one year out of school and being able to catch up with with fresh students got me fired up again, atleast here I started to have a dream (Wanted to become a mechanical engineer and make farming tractors as Agriculture was one of my favorite subject followed by Biology, I did not like Maths but I passed the mathematics examinations anyway. For my Secondary School, I am greatful to two people who got me on track. (1) My Biology Teacher Mdddam Wawire, she belived in me, bought me some food during exams (No one ever scored higher than me in Biology, so this was an inspiration, if I could do well in Biology then I could do well in other subjects) and for that I will remember her as my favorite teacher. (2) Osama Willis my best friend, football mate, mentor and coach (I would call him), he got me on tract when I was distracted with things (I was that special child not settled, give me a football and I was just fine, no wonder I was punished for sneaking out to play for the school team after negotiating with Osama who donated his space for me to play in on of the school tournaments in Siaya County). Suprise to the community, I completed my Secondary School Education (KCSE) Scoring a B+ securing Joint Admission Board admision at the University of Nairobi Timu Rafiki also came in to support my university education. Three things that I will forever remember at this stage in my life, (1) Where there is a will there is some way, (2) People will try to bring you down, surround yourself with some good people who believe in you, do not bring yourself down, (3) Follow your passion but learn to know what matters at each stage of life.
Joining University to me was a dream come true, again academics was just not my priority, shout out to my other best friend Isaac Guda for keeping me on track at the University, my best moments was with the Scouts planting trees, hiking, skating and playing campus politics which were crazy but I enjoyed them (my fans were called FODE (Friends Of Demory), all these sharpened my leadership, community service and people skills. I did play football here too but dislocated my right foot during one of the inter class games which got me completely out of the game. But one thing I am proud of to date about my campus life, my dream changed and I discovered I was more into community service than I was to the engineering side of things. My best moment was when I led my scout team to plan a visit to Nairobi Childrens home. We washed cars, fundraising a total of Ksh 12,500 for our visit to the Childrens home. That made my campus life. Thanks to Prof. Agnes Mwangombe and Mr. Benson Otemba and Prof. Geoffrey Kironchi for all the support during my campus life. It is here that I started turning my passion into something. I wasnt sure where it was going to lead me but I just had fun doing what I was doing, from being a class representative to taking lead on various campus activities and events. To end this segment, as a student in campus I want you to remember two things (1) your network is your networth (2) invest your time on building relevant life skills, you need them out there.
I was wrong about mysef on who I could become, and thats fine, when we are young we know nothing but as we grow up our minds open up and we discover who we truely are. aI have discoved myself along the way, learnt my passions, discoved my purpose and found what I find joy and pleasure doing. When they saw me as a Cobbler, I saw myself as a tout but all this just meant I could discover myself and probably be the best that I coould be. Look now, I am a Founder and a CEO of an Organisation whose main objective is not only to eradicate poverty in Kenya but entire Africa, an objective dear to my heart following my upbringinging and frastrations. Graduating with a degree in Agricultural Sciences (Animal Science Major) to securing my first job as Marketing Officer and Resouce Centre Manger showed me that nothing is impossible in this world. Thank you to Canon. Dr. Stephen Foster for helping me get started in the world of work. How did I even lead and execute a Football Tournement raising Ksh. 500,000 for a drug rehabilitation center in Mombasa Kenya. This reignited my passion for football and acted as a foundation to what I have been doing with people from around the world.
Global Youth Forum having conducting 18 Football Tournaments engaging 148 football teams in Kenya since 2015, is now a Football For The Goals implementing partner for the United Nations in Kenya, a space that I never even throught of. Who even knew I would get on a plane to Europe for a work experince, not once but thrice, thanks to my best Friend Kieron Moir for getting all started (reminds me of our first TV interview with BBC Look east facilitated by Katie)? Who even knew I would make it to Emirates Stadium being an Arsenal fan, leave a lone being booked for a Side pitch tour at Wembley Stadium (Capacity of 90,000 people) during the England vs Finland game. Thanks to my best Friend Katie for doing her thing to make the magic happen.
Five things for me to remember in this phase of my life; (1) Stay true to yourself (2) Do the work even if no one is watching (3) Ideas are everywehere, turning those ideas into reality is the key to success. (4) Never burn bridges, you might need them (5) You can only be helped if you are ready to help yourself.
As I continue to becoming who I want to be come (United Nations Secretary General) I want to confirm to anyone out there that, never box yourself into things and never let anyone put you in a box, discover yourself as you grow untill you find yourself. Once you find yourself play the long game. My game now is to eradicate Poverty through the use of Sports (Football) if I become the Un Secretary General thats a plus for me.
Through Global Youth Forum, I find join to tackle what is dear to my heart (it is slow but a sure process), not forgeting, now I have to reach a Billion People around the world to Sign a Billion Signature Ball and support me in eradicating poverty in Africa (How I am going to do it I dont know but all I know it can be done)
At the end of my life, I want to leave behind a Self Sustaining Community Sports Centre in Kenya, where 510 young people from marginalised communities can be hosted, coached and mentored annually and supported to relize their full potential using the sport of their choice.
Join me and lets help young people discover themselves, access quality food, access quality education and enjoy their favorite sport wherever they are in the world.
#Sports4SDGs | #Football4Peace | #FootballForTheGoals | #Archery4TheGoals | #Ordinary4Voices
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