Take charge of your destiny

By JAMES GITAU

KENYA: In early 2013, I developed a cycling habit, probably due to the improved infrastructure around where we live. My wife and I had talked about the advantage of cycling. We discovered there are bicycles that cost almost the same as a Probox.

Then, one evening in June, I decided to move from talking and window shopping to acting. I bought two bikes, certainly not the ones costing the equivalent of a car, and the cycling addiction kicked in. Since then, I have discovered numerous places in my neighborhood, Nairobi and outside.

In December, we decided to cycle around Mt Kenya, which turned out be one of the best holiday activities I have had in a long time. This, despite the fact that I had to cycle alone as my wife broke her arm five minutes into the ten-day expedition.

In an unfortunate turn of events, she fell off her bicycle right outside our gate. She had been so excited about the trip that she shed tears when it dawned on her that she had to forgo the 700km journey we had planned.

I was not sure whether  to continue alone, but my wife encouraged me to go, so I embarked on a solo trip.

One of the most interesting parts of this trip was the people I interacted with. I remember, struggling to cycle uphill just after Kibirigwi Shopping Centre, a few kilometres from Karatina. I decided to push the bicycle, and shortly afterwards, a young man who was also pushing his bicycle caught up with me. We started chatting, and the next hour or so flew by as we shared our experiences.

The young man’s name was Sam. He was 23 and a KCPE graduate. Sam’s dreams of going to high school came to a standstill after his widowed mother suffered a severe mental ailment that led to her being fired from work, leaving them destitute.

At an early age, Sam realised that he had to fend for himself, his mother and his younger sister. He worked on other people’s farms as a casual labourer. It was not always easy finding work, and after several years of frustration, he opted to try his hand at business.

With an investment of less than Sh2,000, which he had saved, he started selling sweets at bus stops around Sagana. Life was tough and he was hardly making ends meet.

Quick learner

An uncle, who was also a hawker but specialising in handbags, offered to mentor him in this more lucrative business. The intern was a quick learner, and soon his uncle was paying him handsome commissions.

In less than a year, young Sam had saved Sh12,000, and was ready to be his own man once again. His uncle introduced him to the suppliers of second-hand bags in Gikomba, and taught him how to select the right merchandise.

I asked Sam how much profit he made, and, to my amazement, he said he made Sh500 on a bad day. A good day brought day brought in as much as Sh5,000. Although 2013 was ‘not a great year’, he had employed someone to sell the handbags in far off towns, while he focused on nearby towns. In the same year, he earned enough to move into a decent house in Sagana.

Sam had also saved enough money to start building his house in the village, somewhere in Nyahururu.

As we got to the top of the hill at Kangocho, I engaged him on the pros and cons of putting up a house in the village, which he visits thrice a year for about ten days, versus ploughing his money back into his young business. I am not sure he saw my point.

As we hopped onto our bicycles to proceed with our different missions, I could not stop being amazed by Sam’s story. Talk about defying the odds.  With hardly any education, minimum cash and little support, he has decided to be the master of his destiny.

I could not stop thinking of how many people with more education and support are literally sitting on their potential as they mourn the lack of opportunities.