 In today's episode, we feature the story of Lukas Wanyama, a Kenyan karateka who's using his talent in karate to positively impact the society. My name is Lukas Wanyango Wanyama from Busea County. I was born in Bukulumi Village. Like for instance currently, I'm staying at Madare. Maybe like whatever I'm doing, I normally work with G4S in K9 unit. That means I train dogs, I work with dogs. But apart from that, karate is my passion. That's why it's not easy for me to go to school. I work with a family of two. We are five boys. I'm the last born. My elder brother lives in Mombasa. He's the one who took me to school in 2004. When I joined high school, that was Buhalare Boys High School in 2004, February. Then I completed my high school in 2007. Then I got a mini grade of C minus. Then I started doing some sort of mobile charging. I learned how to charge CMU to the nearest market centre, which is called Ikonzo Market. When I was in the market, I started charging. When I started charging, I was in Kachini. I opted to start at least something like shaving. Then I went to Kinyozi. The same way. Growing up, Luka Suanyama first a number of odds, among them, the loss of his father. Niki kwa na mami. My dad died in the year 1998. In 2012, nili kuja na kwa na nafasi yaku hanzisha security group kwa market. Then the same that year 2012 is when nili on advert, kwa mba G4S ma ime se ma inataka watu aneze apply. I applied. I was shortlisted, but when I was called to come to Wheat Road, Nairobi, akunot manage to get fair, yaku kuja. Dio yu na fasi Kani Pita. After 3, 2, 3 months even, nika skia kumetanga zwa kisumu. YMCA, nia sitam kwa mba onataka G4S. Nika enda na kwa sababu ya, batimuzuri nili fika uko. Everything, yu process yote nili piti ya na nika chukuliwa. That was 2012. Muizu aneze. Then I was told to report to Mumias. Maijani in Karate started in 2012. Muizu atis happenu nili meet Simon Onyango. He was a G4S instructor. Enda lukwa in charge of physical fitness. G4S Kampan, kwa zi tuweza mandatory for every G4S employee kufanyama zwezi on Friday. The word Karate, ya, it was derived from a combination of two words. First word was kanji from Japan. It is called kanji. It means Chinese character. The second word is called kara. It means empty hand. It is an armed combat of using, our feet, hand in punching, kicking, but it is mostly practiced for the sake of sport in our train. The only way I am allowed to compete favorably is to do sports but we don't advocate kupigana. Many of you know kupigana. Many youth in informal settlements are faced with challenges such as poverty and unemployment which lead to many social ills. I used to trek kutwa ka kibira paka kaha waste bai then nikuwa na fanya na dogi waka tumigini na bebo na gariya dogi but I used to trek sikuwa na jua building yo yota na Nairobi apart from KCC na Tuskis. Nili fanya hivu for one month nikuwa na kujani kajiambia if na kwa natembe hivu kila siku ikazi tanisha na tanito roke na nikuwa mo one day nikuwa uli zaka zi akufanya ya jua kali unskilled manpower to do with the kabros isi mawe zaku pangaku apartments na nikuwa patawatu wambawa kasi mawekana at least absorb you huwe wana fanya mucana tunakulisima pema unanda job badele ya kuwa wana rudi kibira then I agreed madaare niya utali niya utali college life we are ghetto for example madaare uko wasa place mi na ka vijana na mingol nao life we koko see life right here nili life rough number one kuna for example sa parents they are unstable financially sa wakatu na pata waza zia wako stable wakatu mwingi wana utumia wakatu kuenda kuhasol wakatu wana enda kuhasol wuku nyuma they are not caring about family so much kwa sababu wakatu mwingi na tumia kuenda kutafutia wa toto lishe lishe bora kwa sababu waja isi maisha power na slums iko very risky kwa sababu number one kuna congestion watu ni wengi vijana atakama nuwas jana wengi sa iwa na tumia drugs sana wana tumia drugs na kama sa ii na iwa drugs watu na tumia drugs ina leta laziness apart from kuleta laziness ina leta inoafanya wana ingiwa kwa into bad groups na izo bad groups kwa sababu bad groups kuna vitu mwingi izo groups ina kuna mwana starehe starehe na ataka pesa aiyo pesa kwa they are not employed sana bidiwa ingiwa kwa crime as a way of giving back to the society Wanyama founded St. Benedict Karate Club in Madare where he trains youth and street children my journey to empower youths ili anza in 2015 nikiwa madare wafu gota social hall nia khumidepo iyo ni community based project rambaili jengwa kwa nili approach leaders nika wambia nia was practicing karate and I think I can still continue it and through that at least also the same way I can use that karate to the youths local leaders supported me kwa they saw what I was doing will have a big impact to the community kwa sababu empowering youths like for instance girl child is like educating a whole community my club nime gradisha meaning they have been examined by KKF and they found them fit to grade is to be examined is like when you learn in a college or in a school after learning on a later exam when you do that exam if you don't pass then you don't qualify so grading is like being examined doing an examination which is practical a practitioner nai toa karate na karate nai edge provided him to talk for 6 years and above and learn art mimi nipateku as idea nge into their shoes like something like empathy I must fit into their shoes nikuwansani jue what they are passing through for instance like they are using drugs mimi mmonyanu kuja nijulize how can I help them kutumiya drugs first it was just to at least welcome them when they have at least come after we have trained we normally give everybody a chance to express himself talk about his life talk about his challenges talk about zile vituzenya nge penda in his life accomplish then through that ovia skilla mutu kuna vituzenya mataza mimi mmonya kenita fahutina na wengine then we continue working towards kumeksua kwa mba at least skilla mutu aneza pata way forward nivipi aneza fanya nini aneza fikiya goals zile goals akeza niya kuna zo Lukas niko chongo fitness to limit last year actually last year was the perfect time to commit because COVID was in a bond house in Bahia so I will introduce this stuff actually nili pata kaba dine nendele alfajiri but I will comment on kwa live since tu patani kwa mse tu akuna positive vibes niku nge katu untoz back to back fitness nalikesa na kilimudu na kwa sana meni patia confidence na courage akuna woga woga masolatsu na jo kishanzak na kwa mbo kufrutana na mutu aapia nakpatia confidence in life kufesu mavitumba limbali na pia health wise maze imeni sa idea sana his love for karate health back from high school wanyama says discipline is key for a karateka for you to bring light anywhere you must see light first so it was my first it was my responsibility atleast for me I'm the first person who should be more discipline kwa kua kwa uwa I'm going to talk to arataka kwa mpres how maybe Wiliana nioona how I conduct myself Wiliana move around what I do so convincing these kids is very easy because now we develop friendship They see, I love them, they also, at least, maybe see how I conduct myself. Kupata hawa toto niraisana, kwa sababu wan, I'm already, mimi nimi wana light, nimi wana umuhimua karate. So I'm only passing on, na nawa patiya to niki tu na patiya, is something like a legacy, niki tu wama wana nikonayo. So na patiya na also karate is something discipline, it has got rules, like we have got five rules, five rules of karate. Number one, someone should be faithful. Two, there is a endeavor, endeavor means that we should at least work hard in our life, at least to become independent. We should work hard in our life, at least to be more productive. Number three, third rule, we should refrain from bad behavior, meaning you cannot become a karateka if you are a bad guy. Maybe you might have been a bad guy but you must change, that one must tell us, admit that though I was a bad person, lakini mekubali ku change. You should refrain from bad behavior. Then another one is someone should seek character perfection. Lajma mtu akwe na tabiyamzuri. Lajma ukwe na tabiyamzuri, you cannot be a karateka, kamauna tabiyamzuri. Refrain from bad behavior, seek character perfection, be faithful and endeavor. Then the last one we have got, to respect people. Karate goes with respect. Apart from these moves na ni ni ni, sana sana discipline na cheki. Nga faya niki, nikiwa na ma boysuangu maze, as in discipline ben le kuwanzu na get. Historia kuwara frav, hai dai. Kwa sana tena, Siu link na ma street boysu sana, sana, sana. Na niwa sii, wana penda kuwara frav, violence, violence, as in. So niki kanao chi ni, niki tuwa kwa show, niki tuwa kwa show as in design. Akuna jakuwa raudi ni ni ni ni ni, you can do this and it will be humble in your life na cheki. Plasti taku sa idea zi upandewa madre ma glu glu ni ni. Outakwa that we can't shake it. Kamao me omit, sana sana. Nga kwa ako shake it, but through this stuff, tkona ma success. Wanyama boast of several achievements in his Karate journey. I've managed to participate in Kenya Open, that was 2013. It was at Social Hall, Kakamega, 2013. I've also attended Kenya Open Championship at Tuk, Nairobi Technical University, that was still 2013. The other one, I went, it was in Ibushiya. Kenya Open, tuli kwa Ibushiya. Then on that day I was number four, kwa zinili fika semi. Here in Kenya Karate, to Kenya paku, tukona federation. It is called KKF, Kenya Karate federation. Being, style is called Shotokan, tukona our president, tukona our president, Jono Witi, who is the head coach. We have got a federation. I'm an affiliate, meaning that I'm a member there. Based in India, Mumbai, it is called SKC, Shotokan Karate do. They are our representative in Kenya here. The second one is called Koshkul. It is, headquarters is in Singapore, but it is originated from Japan. Me ni branch chief, BC, branch chief representative, Kenya. As a sport, Karate has its advantages. I have more than three cases, what when you are cosmetic and through training you are a pona, bila kupela kwa, hospitality. Also, we have cases to do with things like siko selanemia, me kuna wa toi wengi. Kuna moja happen to have one. Alikuwa siko selanemia, naukiwa na siko selanemia, you cannot manage to reach 13 years. But when I was training that kid, alipela kuna Nairobiosipito, aka uli zwa, umutana na nda wa api, aka ambi wa hua na nda kufa kutrain, and if you are physical fitness. That is when the doctors told their parents, the parent of the kid that, kama umutu yange kwa mba hua ndi, kufanya physical fitness, yange kwa lisha yaga kitambu. Ni litu in Karate 1, to keep my body fit. 2, for my self-defense when it come to really life situation, kwa street wapi when I am working. I work as a free man because I know I am fit. And I use my hands and legs as a weapon to defend myself anyway. Vizana na mtani, na zwa advice for joining Karate, kama sport. Na zwa advice for joining Karate, because you have to keep fit. Wuki fanya zwezi, makonju itata kukari bia, because your body is already fit. Na pia, waki zwezi Karate, hote azaia kukua indolnes. Kusya fanya zwezi, na toko kwa mechoka, uchi sumbona na matu, na danda huna tekshawa. Na na pia, displane, kufanya na kwa moa displane, because mostly our instructors na tuwambi yange kusya trail, isuri bakia bo, pahal. Kendo kwa inze, kaka moa enzako, but avoid mali penyokuna kelele na uchokoze na mambungine. Ki trail Karate wizi nda kwa ulevi, wizi nda kwa futabangi, unia yotraig. It is said that nothing good comes easy. Therefore, here are some of the challenges when yama has encountered. When you start something, there is that maturity stage, kwa sababu, nulini kwa wakati nili anzisha, nili anzisha Karate, to challenges ni mingi, before fikei yo levo ya kusya, makoma nao you have a team, nina kuchukua time, kwa sababu you must train them, wafikei yo levo ya kuna, they can compete favorably. When asked how bright the future is, this is what he says. The near future, I am going to make a big change to the youth, kwa sababu they believe in me, they believe in what we are doing, they have also at least seen the impact of what we are doing, because they are in for it, they are doing it. There is something which maybe I have not mentioned, right now, I am working with street kids, maybe we have got difference between those kids that are home and street kids, now it is very different. Ya, I am working with street kids, those are street from Mulango, Isli, Kidurai, Tiyarem, Dandora you can name it, those street may be, may be the person who atleast who helped me to know them, is called Lenore, Lenore by one of alfajiri street kids. We only had this idea kujua mambuna street kid, na when I met Lenore, we met when I was training kids, Lenore got me when I was training kids at St. Benedict Catholic Church, along Thika Road, near NYS headquarters. He used to come and just to watch what I was doing every day, then one day he approached me and said, I have seen what I mean, I would like when I opened my organization to give you a chance to be interacting with the kids, to atleast be helping us, talking to them, because in that way you will be mentoring them, then I said that will be good, that was 209, through Lenore I've managed to know to atleast what street kids are passing through, their problems they are facing, nime onga ya now, ya nime kua naenda kua na watafuta, those bases naenda iso base, for instance like right now, mimi am their coach, mimi ni kua chuao last year last year but one I managed to train them up to the level that I took them to Nairobi National Lumisium as a club, Al Fajiri Karate Club through me, na as we speak right now vijana when nime manage kutua kwa street they are uncounted. When come to a close, Wanyama does not hesitate to leave a word of advice to the viewer. My advice to the young generation nikuwamba, let us come together, let us know that the greatest wealth on earth is your health and the only project you have is your life. One, two, one, one, two, three, four.