 This is the way to do it. This is the way to do it. This is the way to do it. Come to youth in action where we meet extraordinary minds of young people. Today, we have Brian Oruko, the CEO of Direct Errands and Logistics Kenya. Brian. Thank you. Thank you. Karibu Sana. Thank you young person. Karibu Karibu Sana. Thank you. I love how you know and as ever worn black, like I'm going to have this show. I love your fashion. I love your style. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Tell us what is the background of Direct Errands and Logistics Kenya? My name is Brian Oruko, popularly known as Kila B. A lot of people call me Kila B. Kila B is a name that I got from my college days. Kila B. Kila B. Kila B. The B is just the B. A B, B for boy. Kila was given to me because by a friend of mine who deemed me as a very lucky person. So instead of saying lucky, he said Kila. So he's a lucky boy. So Kila B. So that is the reason behind my name. And yes, like you've said, I'm the CEO of Direct Errands and Logistics. It perplexes me sometimes when somebody asks me whether I'm a CEO of Dell's Kenya, like we popularly call it nowadays. Because it was something that started from just a dream. It just came in. It's just a purpose, a calling. It wasn't something that was planned like, okay, you have this capital, go and use it to start your business and all these other things that majority of people get. So the background of Direct Errands and Logistics services, number one, my background, I have completely no education in logistics. I have completely no education in supply chain management. I have completely no education, apart from the researches I've been doing now, being that I've developed a lot of interest in this field. But I have a background in clinical psychology. I studied for that one at Amani Training Center and Counseling Institute. That is where I got my diploma from. I enrolled to Amani after family, my relatives, actually were the ones who were like, okay, let us enroll this boy because there is something about him. I was going through grief. My background is I'm a grief warrior. I can't live without saying that. I'm a grief warrior. At the same time, interestingly enough, is that I am an only surviving family member in our family. I lost my mother in the year 2001. Then I lost my father a month later. When I lost him, then we were adopted. So when we were adopted, we had to go and stay with my his elder brother in Nairobi, with my brother, who are only two boys. So then a year later, again, I lost my brother. And that is the point when now I started building skills all over my skin to mean all over my life, around myself. Because now I was like, when will my time of dying come? And I waited for that time up until now when we're doing this interview. And I would love to ask you, how were you able to understand that these things do happen? My mother taught me what death means. That is the best lesson my mother ever gave me. Because I believed, she believed that a time will come when she'll no longer be there. And at the same time, I was mama's boy. So majority of my time, I would just spend next to her, anything. We were more like, we were so much in tune that I wouldn't do without her and she wouldn't do without me. So one time, she bought me a pet, a dog. I grew up in Makasembo, Estet. I'm born and bred in Kisumu. I went to school at MMSHA. Then I went to high school at Nyabondo Boys in Nyakach. So one time, I think I was about, I was standard three, standard four, then she bought me a pet, a dog. So this evening, she comes with this dog and she says, now this is going to be your dog from today. Give the dog a name. Then once you give that dog a particular name, now treat that dog as your best friend. So that night, during dinner, she ensured that the little that was left, she served it and I took my pet. For a week, this had been happening. Then one Friday, I remember, because the next day was Saturday and she was doing laundry. So when I woke up, then she was like, okay, go and take something from the kitchen, take it to your dog. So when I went there, I found the dog wasn't waking up. So then I asked her, mom, the dog is not waking up. What could be the problem? Then she says, oh, really? Can I go and check? Okay, go and try waking the dog up. Later on in life, I came to understand that it's my mom who actually killed the dog. She really played with your psychology. Exactly. Why? Because she wanted me to understand that loss and grief do happen. And when it happens, sometimes in children, as adults, we assume and presume that this child will not know what is going on. But children also mourn, children also grieve. And the grief that my mom taught me is what made me to survive this loss through that incident of killing the pet. Because my brother was not taught what grief is. And late up to when my dad's remains were being taken now up country for burial, my brother could not understand how is it possible that in a span of a month, you are being told that now you don't have a mother and you don't have a father. He was younger then. He was just about five years old. But he could ask questions that even me myself, I couldn't ask. Because you know me, I was mama's boy and I was more of an introvert as compared to him was more of an extrovert. So basically that is just my background. And now you studied clinical psychology. How did the dels Kenya come about? Ah, my days in clinical, in the classes of clinical psychology gave birth to a very brilliant and a wild quote unquote gentleman. Because that is when everybody realized that this particular gentleman is talented. And there is something special about him because I had the ability, you know, I was coming out of a very horrible 15 years of my life that I had attempted suicide for three, four times, you know. And none of these suicidal attempts were going through. So my days in this class are the ones that now made me realize that there is reason for me to live. So at that point, there was nowhere, you know, I hadn't even thought of doing business. I did not know that, you know, I would even one day be a businessman. I was just doing this so that I could help myself from grief. And at the same time, I could sit back in an office and get employed. You know, they used to say that when you're done with these particular classes, then you can easily get an NGO job. Then once this was done, now where was the job? The big question. I'm done with it. I've gone through the process. Now where is the job? Now there's no job. So the only best thing that you could do at that time was now just to seek for training sessions and opportunities. Okay. Then now I start thinking to myself now that is about eight years later, eight years from from from the clinical psychology, just idling, you know, just just trying to figure out what am I going to do? You know, no employment. But because of this other, the big, I call them my bigger brothers, they would try to see how best they could help me and engage me. Then COVID strikes. So everybody's at home. People are not moving, locked down. Those who are working probably are being told, we don't need your services anymore. So who are you going to ask a job from? At that point, you know, I got my first born when I was 26 years old, because I wanted that is part of my healing. My kids are part of my healing. Because I had, I had to get somebody I could identify with as blood. So the earlier I got them, the better for me. The later I would have postponed it, then the worse it could have become for me. So now COVID hits and everybody is in the house. So guys just watch TV. My first born is barely turning four at that time. My second born, Dylan is just turning, I think a month old or two. When the mom was pregnant with my first born, who's called Osborn Miguel, I sold sausages. Okay. But when she was eight months pregnant, I had to serve her all those sausages because now we were not making sales and she was hungry. So one time I came from selling the smokies because I was raised at Mac Assemble. That is why I was doing this business. Then she says, I turn on the stove. Then I told her, eat, eat. So she ate. Then COVID hits, we are in the house, the kids are there. One is turning four years. One is turning one year. Then my first born keeps on sending me to the kitchen. Then I come to realize that, oh, this kid keeps on sending me. So I tell him, I confront him and tell him, don't send me again. You know, I'm your father. So if you want anything from the kitchen, go for it by yourself. Not unless it is something hard, but if it is something you're just going to pick from your bedroom or wherever, just go and take it, but don't keep on sending. At this particular point, the county government has given us the notice already. We have already been served with the notice. We are supposed to be moving out of these houses in the next one month or two. Where am I going to without a job? Where am I going to without a job? Okay, they are promising compensation, sorry, but at the same time, you can only eat it for as long as it lasts. Then an idea comes to my mind, what if guys, I went out there and then people started sending me and then they pay me. Wow. Okay, then I'm like, okay, let me think about it. How does it work? So I go into Google and I check being sent and paid. Then the search engine brings out error and service, delivery, courier. Then I'm like, ah. So I check error and services, error and business. So I click error and business. Then we go to error and business. Then I see how to start an error and business, how to survive in what are the pros and cons of error. Then my interest develops more and more. My interest develops more and more. Then I'm like, okay, if this is how it is, then I think I need to ask somebody, who do they think? Luckily for me, and that is what I always say every day, the idea you have in your mind as a youth, be very careful who you ask for feedback. Because if you ask a wrong person, they will tell you no and that will be the end of it and they will tell you it can't work and you will never try. So I went ahead and I asked and I shared it with the mother of my children. Then she said, just try. So I said, okay, I'm going to try. So I started, I looked for an app, the one that I could use to create posters for Facebook. It's called Canva app. It's on App Store. The same iPhone that I was using was a gift from my uncle because I told him I'd like to have an iPhone. So he sends me an iPhone 6. Then I asked my friend, close buddy at the time, that I want to start an errand business. That is after asking, sharing with the mother of my kids. Then I asked my friend, I would like to start an errand business in Kisumu. Then he tells me, I can't work. First thing he told me, it can't work. It can't work, Brian. Then I said, but it can't work. Where are you going to get the clients from? Tell me. Tell me where are you going to raise your first five clients from? Then I told him, I don't know, but I'm going to try. Don't bother trying. It can't work. I'm telling you the truth. It can't work. So I told him, okay, it can't work. But then kindly assist me with an app, if you know any, that I can use to create just a flyer for social media. Then he sends me the name. Then I download. So basically I started by business with an iPhone and data GB, data bundle, one giga, data bundle. Then he sends me that and after everybody has had dinner, then I sit in the sitting room alone. I sat there for close to six hours creating the first flyer and looking for the first, for the business name. And that is how we were, I named my direct, it wasn't direct before, it was Kisumu First Erans. First F-A-S-T. F-A-S-T. And back then it was reliable and honest. That was the tagline, Kisumu First Erans, Reliable and Honest. Then by 5.30, I go to the bedroom. Now I retire to sleep. I have already posted it on social media. So I started sharing Kisumu Mom's page, KBC page, Y254 page, Youth in Action page. I started sharing all over. I just started making noise on social media. Relevant noise. So we started with the main service was grocery shopping, laundry pickup and drop off. Those were the biggest service we could think of. I could think of back then. Then we proceed, we proceed and proceed and proceed up until the point when we get our first ring. Then I pick it was about on a Thursday afternoon, we still had Corona market next to Mark Assemble. Meanwhile, I'm running the entire Kisumu First Erans. I'm running it from my, from the bedroom, the back room of this house. So basically, direct Erans and Logistic Services Kenya started from a county council house. Wow. And what kind of activities do you engage in as direct Erans services? Now, before the activities, you should have asked me how the name changed from Kisumu First Erans to Dell's Kenya. How did it change? For a year, we were marketing. We had our first job and that's how we made our first 300 shillings. Then we realized that, oh, this thing can work, let us proceed head on. So here we are. We keep on marketing, keep on marketing, keep on marketing. Then everybody starts calling me, oh, first Erans. Oh, first Erans. So everywhere I go, if I go to watch football, first Erans. How are you? First Erans, how are you? First Erans, baby. Then somebody on the background tells me, Brian, it is now time you checked on registering this name. Because now the political season is coming and politicians want people like you who are vocal and can speak and, you know, plus then again, you can use first Erans to offer them services. Now, it won't be brand. So I rushed to Huduma Center, E-Citizen, Kisumu First Erans registered, paid 1000. That's how I met this great gentleman by the name of Osodo. Osodo works, he played rugby and he works at Huduma Center, Kisumu. Because now I gave him the work, do for me that work. Then later in the afternoon, he calls me and tells me, Brian, I have bad news. The name that you have been using, that name is registered. So what are you talking about? Did you type Kisumu first? No, that is the information back from the registrar. That name is gone. Look for another one. Then I tell him, no, please, I'm coming. This is my baby. This is my life. What do you mean somebody has registered the name? How? Where? When? How? Then I get there and Osodo tells me, look, read that letter. So I'm sitting there, I'm reading the letter. Then I tell him, unbelievable. What is happening? Brian, there are people out here who just sit and see, that is Osodo speaking, and see startups coming up and then they go register the name because they know if you're aggressive enough, you'll push it for even 50 years but one day you'll leave that name. So I tell him, ah, really? Then what you need to do, kindly, try and figure out is there any number attached to the name? So he tells me, give me an hour. So the works on it is a genius. It's an IT guy, works on it and calls me now and tells me, that's the number. So I call. Hello? Gina, if you still want that name, kindly, give me a particular amount of money. I ask how much? I want 70,000. But I want you to have a lot, you have a lot to package. Thank you so much, Brian. Your story cannot end in just one episode. We have to have you on the next one. Guys, I am sure you also want to hear Brian tell us more about his story. See you next time, same time, same place. I am Nyong'ueso Grenis.