Page 63 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 12

MY AFRIKA

all 47 counties present. who is struggling with trying to shillings to buy towels from a mar-
figure out what to do, how do ket called Gikomba here in Nairobi
That’s amazing. they break out of extreme pov- and now this lady has invested. She
So, PLO Foundation started in 1990 erty or some kind of lack where now has firms, she’s educating her
and it has been silent. It’s a project they are feeling stuck, what siblings, she’s the provider of the
that most people don’t know about would it be? So that they can step family and she has not stopped what
because Professor PLO Lumumba out and do something to trans- she is doing. So you can see, from a
doesn’t like being in the limelight, form the world around them. thousand Kenya shillings, it doesn’t
he likes doing things in the back- matter, you don’t need to get mil-
ground. So I must say that even Wow! That’s a nice question. Now, lions to make an impact.
though it has not been in the lime- first before answering that question
light, it has changed lives. I want to say that we young people You know as the great philosopher
we’re very impatient. would say; you don’t need that much
I’m one of those whose lives have to make a change in your commu-
been transformed by the foun- You know you meet a young person nity, start with whatever you have
dation, from the mentorship that and he wants to drive a Benz like and then work very hard and say this
I’ve received from Professor and yesterday, and you know how life is what I have, how can we move,
through that I’ve authored four is. You’re older than me and even which people can support with the
books. Besides that, he has men- Mr. Samuel, for you to start sharing little that we have? Because, even
tored me and now I’m appreciating these stories across Africa and even God says that if you don’t work
the values of Africa, and I came up the globe, you’re now international, hard even the little that you have
with a social enterprise that empow- it was not easy! You know getting will be taken from you, and those
ers young people which is called that breakthrough was not easy. who are working very hard will be
Lawy Afrik Technology Limited. So But when you meet a young person added more. So we must move from
what we do at Lawy is to appreciate today, he will say "I want you to that culture of expecting much and
our culture, our pride, so we make pay me hundred thousand Kenya you’re giving nothing, let’s work very
African products , so what I’m shillings. hard young people, that is all I can
wearing is a product of Lawy Afrik. say. Patience, focus, determination,
That shows you that if you decide It’s terrible Chioma, it’s very sad. and respect to God, those are the
to do something for young people, Our generation is getting hit by get- things that can take young people to
you don’t need to pay them a lot rich-quick schemes which I think is the next level.
of money, you don’t need to give not the right way to go. I think what
them peanuts, or give them hand- we young people who are listening Provided you don’t respect other
outs. Whatever young people need need to know is the culture of pa- people, you don’t have that deter-
out there is mentorship, and I think tience, the culture of determination, mination and patience you will not
Professor PLO Lumumba and other the culture of if I know that I have reach where you want.
great Pan-Africanists are trying their a little, I have a thousand shillings
best, and even you people what what can I do with this one thou- When I was starting the company,
you’re doing; sharing African stories, sand shillings if I can’t afford fifty I didn’t have money, I was just here
you’re inspiring, you’re telling young thousand shillings? One thousand and as a matter of fact, I’m not paid
people out there that it doesn’t mat- shillings, that is, ten dollars. What much, so I started with whatever I
ter their situation and they can also can I do with ten dollars? had. I have now received somebody
make it. who wants to donate machines to
I met a lady just the other day when help young people so at least they
If I was in a situation where I was I was coming to work who has been can start something for themselves.
pitying myself and saying that I'm selling towels, and she has been So, I can tell young people they can
an orphan, what can I do? Perhaps selling them for eight years. This do it as I did it.
I would not be here. So it’s upon lady is a graduate from the Univer-
young people to take it upon their sity of Nairobi and she graduated It’s true. The power of starting.
hearts that they can make it. with a Bachelor's degree in Educa- Exactly…!
tion. It's a very good degree but she
That’s true. That’s very true. If opted not to sit there and wait to It’s amazing. So, how do they get
you were to tell somebody there be employed. She used a thousand this book?

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