 Welcome back. Welcome back. This is still wine the morning. Thank you for staying with us. Now we are on to our first conversation on youth and career. And our guest today has a story to tell, one that is more of go big or go home. So he'll tell us about his career, Jenny, what he's currently doing and hopefully his story will inspire you to push on with your career and go for your passion in matters career. Welcome, Maurice Kimatu. Thank you so much, Stephanie. Glad to have you with us. Thank you. All right. So tell us who you are first and what you do. My name is Maurice Kimatu. The founder and the director of Goma Schools. Okay. So what is we want to know about Goma Schools? What is Goma Schools? What do you do there? Is it a formal school institution or what is it? Basically, Goma School is an formal institution whereby we specialize in registering private candidates, giving them a second chance to do to sit for the exam as a private candidate. So we are running as an informal institution. The student don't need to come to school with uniform. They don't need to follow the rules that the latter is followed by the formal schools. So that's basically what we do. We run the syllabus the way it is, both systems, Kenyan system and the British curriculum. Okay. So now you have, you said it's an informal institution. Now you're giving a second chance to students who are not able to do the KCSE examination. Exactly. You find that there are some students who are not able to do their, to complete their, their syllabus or their certificate due to different reasons. You may find that there are some students who were expelled from the schools. There are some students who never got enough finance to facilitate for the fees. There are students maybe who are slow learners and they never got that opportunity. So we try to give a second chance to those students. Okay. All right. So they come to the school, we take them through the syllabus the way it is. We register them to the, to the NEC exams. They do exam like any other students regardless of their age, their background, their gender. Yes. And this is for students who are, you know, who had started all the way up to maybe from four and they dropped out for one reason or the other or someone can just come in at any form. Well, you find that, you know, institution we have some students who came simply because they were expelled because of different reasons. They were rejected. They were expelled. Others they, they, they, they got early pregnancies and maybe because of the stigma, they don't want to go back to the former school. They get back to the uniform or such. So we have that caliber of students whereby they just not need to get to the former whereby they have to go to, to follow the rules. They are in the uniform and all that. So we have that caliber of students. There are other students who decide, you know what, I don't know, I don't need to go back to the, to the former school whereby I'm seeing in uniform, I'm going to follow the rules and all that. So they decide to come to a center. So in our center, we are registering all the students regardless of their maybe, but those have the problems or reasons which led to that or those baby are willing to, to, to, to, to complete their certificate for you see our institution. Okay. And then understand that you do your teaching online. So how does it, how do you go about this all the way from enrollment until the examination period? Now I've enrolled as a student. So what next? Well, as far as the online is concerned, let's talk about the amount of learning in our center. You find that we are students who fiscal come to class. All right. Right. Because we have the teachers. We run the syllabus the way other schools are running the former schools from eight to four, follow the scheme of work. All right. So we have that one on one. They come to class, the teachers come in class, they get their services, they go. Now we have this other student who has registered the exam from a different town or maybe he or she cannot make to the, to the, to the, to the class. So that's why now we have developed now the, the e-learning, the e-learning whereby we can teach the students online, either via Zoom platform, Google Meet. And again, we come to realize that when we started, it was small. We never knew whether it will, it will blow. So to some point, there's some students who need some materials or maybe they need to revive for the, for the announcement you are given. So when you are doing online on YouTube, you find that, for example, I'm doing mass and chemist. So you find maybe some students, we did a, let's talk of a topic like, like integration for example. You may find that student was not satisfied or maybe that student had not have enough time maybe to get the own content in class. So he or she needs to divide. So on YouTube, we have listened, when you look on our YouTube, we have listed the topics, the way they are, even the topic is not yet covered. We have lecture one, lecture two. So maybe we are doing integration. You may find that in lecture one, we did integration part one. In lecture two, we did integration, maybe another sub-topic. Then till the topic is fully covered. So doing it online, we are trying to reach the people who cannot make it to the center. Yes. Okay. And you've said you grew from, you know, from a small place, and now you're doing it big. Actually, where we started is that it just started like, once you're homeschooling. I go to a home, maybe you're schooling somewhere, I come, I teach you a kid, exercise well, I teach and so on. So because of those departments, we are like, Moli mu, where can you have somewhere where we can find you? And we want to get to that, the story behind this. But first, how is, what's the statistics of, you know, the students enrolled, those that are actively enrolled in your school? Well, I can say for the last four years, we have not registered less than 100 students, candidates. Every year. For the last four years, we have not registered the candidates less than 100. So now we want to talk about your career. Now, this career that you've chosen, I understand that this was not the one that you started with. So you went from journalism to this. So tell us about that. Well, when I competed in my high school, back in Mekuen, Mekuen, that is Mekuen boys, I joined University of Nairobi, mass communication journalism. So it was not my thing. It is something which I was just pushed because of the parents, because back then, class of 2012, you know, so back then is whereby the parents were to decide to say, you know, we need to be a doctor, we need to be a pilot. So it was kind of something we were chosen. For me, it was not my thing. For me, I just needed to be not only a teacher, but I just wanted to see, to see students. That was my life. I see students. I own a school. That was my thing. You wanted to be a teacher. I want to be a, I don't know whether it's a teacher, it's a small word, you know. But that was my area. That was my area. So when I went for journalism, third year, went for internship. So back then, the media also think that they were full. Because after internship, it was a bit difficult. You go to KTN, they tell you, you know what, where do you have to, where do you have to. So what I did, I went to a certain institution and that is why I did my internship. So I did literature. So whoever was to come, lecture I came, what I was doing. And from that point, when you came back to school, I did my degree in Camalisa. I completed, are successfully. But I had some impact in the school where I was. So you did your internship at a school? At a school. You were teaching literature? Literature. Because internship is, what do you do? And what you'll be learning in class, are you able to do it practically out there? So after I was done with my degree program, I had some impact to where I was. You see, okay, let me take you back. After third year, I had to defer my studies because of one, two, three things, the fees and all that. So I used to do some teaching me because during my internship period, I think it in India completely. So I used to do some teaching here and there. So I think I built some rapport with the students. And I said, this is something I wanted to do. This is my area. I feel more comfortable here than being told. Yes, I've been told go somewhere, cover story, cover story, take to the producer, let him edit or edit, then you pre-med. So for me, it is like one thing, we are interacting one on one. So that was my thing. So I say now, yes, I have the degree of journalism. We have done mass English in the case of Haley. When get what I'm teaching, I'm doing mass in the case of Haley, right? Something which is a bit different from what I did. For what you did, yes. So after I was done with my degree, we are all over looking for job like another citizen and citizen TV, KBC, all over, we are apply the CVs and all that. Then I found it is like taking some time. So I said, let me try. I go back to maybe I look some works to schools and all that. So that's I secure to a job at a school called Matrix algebra in this institution. It's a big institution, which deals with what I'm doing currently, the registers, prefect, consistent adult education center. Or that is also an adult education center. Yes, adult education center. So I taught there for for around three years. And I build a good family with the students, with the parents and all that. Even some partner approached me and said, you know, because I was doing mass in the chemist. So my subject, the students were doing so well, you know, being mass in the chemistry, they are like they are the top score to subjects. But I would ask, before you continue, where did you learn, you know, maths and chemistry? Because this is not what you did in the university. Basically, all right. High school must I got a minus chemistry, I got a minus. So it was my thing because what I believe Stephanie is that a teacher is born. A teacher is not trained. It is a calling. A soldier is born. A soldier is not trained. A pastor is born. It's not trained. We just go to training just to get that formality and the satisfaction of all that, which is good. It is very much good. But for me, that's how I believe. So I started teaching, but on a degree of mass communication, I've been mass in the chemist. All right. So at this time now. So you're teaching with your high school knowledge. Then I'm teaching with my high school knowledge. Okay. The degree is there, but when I produce something totally different, it will take you to completely different mode, you know. So I taught for some while in that institution, I just told you mathematics algebra up to 2017, 2018. And some parents approached me, told me, you know what Maurice, where can you try? You start your own institution. We are going to back you up. So all the way, I went all the way to Kajiadu, if you know Kajiadu town. So you stopped? I stopped. I've resigned. I've got to the office. I told you what I'm doing. I've told the students because I had the love of the students. So I had to tell them, I'm going back to my studies. You couldn't tell them the truth. I couldn't tell the truth because the Sardars would say, where are you going? We have to hammer with you. And because I didn't want to maybe to affect the school in one or the other. I needed to chase my dream because I'm here. I'm helping you to grow your career. This is something, this is my line, line edge of career, you know. So I said, why can't I try my own? So 2017 all the way to Kajiadu, all right. So I'm there. I need to start my own institution that I remember it must be approved by Minister of Education. So there's some minimum requirements, which I didn't get. So I'm there. I've already decided my name of my institution, you know. I have, I had to do some printing of some advertisement purpose and all that. So that very day I went there and assessed and I had to find the facility first. Where am I going to have an institution? You know, that's the beginning of everything. So I had to locate the place, a place called KIG in Kajiadu. So after that, I now too, this is the name I'm going to come up with. Ministers knows nothing. I don't have any students and I'm new in this town. It's just you and you. It is just me. I'm just chasing my dream. I have nothing. I have my briefcase. I have my certificates. Nothing. At this time, when you're going to try, you know, you've quit your job. Once you, once you're scared at any point that, you know, I might fail because this is something new I'm trying. I'm going to a new place. I don't know if it will work or if it won't work. Were you scared? Did you have second thoughts about it? Well, of course, as a human being, you must have those questions. What is going to happen? What if you try and maybe you've not been able to certain the money? But true enough, I did have enough money to do all these things. But it is just a passion. I said, let me go. I just going to budget myself going to get, maybe even if it is two rooms, I pin a blackboard, I get some few books and boat, then I'm going to test my school. And that's what I did. I went to Kajiado. I go to a facility in a church. They have cages, a big church. They have a big sanctuary. And they have some other churches where they begin. So that's how it was a facility for me. So when I got this hall, so I now to look for students. Remember, I don't have any student. It's just you now and your hall and your blackboard. It is me. Because where I was teaching is Rangai. If Ogata Rangai, let me not confuse you with Ogata Rangai. We all got Rangai. From Ogata Rangai to Kajiado is a two different towns. So I don't have any students. So I don't know anybody. But something I need to do. What would you say was your drive? Because I'm trying to understand how you do it. That was my thing. For me, it's just funny. I don't know what can put it, but my life is in students. When I see students just make their life, nurturing their talent, and they become people in the society, it makes sense. That's the joy in me. That keeps you going. Gives me going. So it's the passion that fuels. It's passion. When you see the young ladies, the young boys growing, a transition to be real men, the real women in the society, that's me. I don't need to force it. It comes naturally. It comes naturally. So there I am. I studied rubber schools. So I went to the cyber and I printed like 1,000 papers. For what? For an advertisement of my institution. Because I have to advertise. I have to put awareness. There's a new institution somewhere. It is specializing in registered private candidates. This is a system we are offering. We are located where we have the phone numbers when you call. We give the fees and all that. This time round I don't have teachers. The books I have, they are the cost books. Mathematics, one book, chemistry, one book, biology, one book, physics, one book, all the way. All the subjects. One piece of book. So I've gone to the cyber, I have the papers. So one night I get some boys, and that one night, the following morning, when Kajadu town people woke up, all over the town, we had the posters. Goma schools, adult education. Specialized in registered private candidates. This is very interesting. Let us take a short break and then we continue with your story and see where it went and how you go to where you are now. So let's take the short break and we'll be back in a short while.