 It is in the nature of many to lament when offered lemons by life, but David O'Couth, a Fascula's owner's graduate in community development, chose to make lemonade out of his lemons that has resulted in transforming the lives of those around him. Bonia bredia in Korobosho and also went to school within the environment of Korobosho. That was some years back I was in Babadogo primary school. Then from Babadogo I studied the eight years schooling, which did my KCP there. Then I went to high school, I went to Kankunji secondary school. Then from Kankunji secondary school I went to a college called Temple College where I studied community development and social work. From there I did not stop there because I had that knock for education. I went to St. Paul's University where I studied community development. I majored in that in community development and from St. Paul's I also performed well. I had a first class owner's and from there still education was still at that sort of like the thirst for continuing to read more and to learn more about the field that I'm into. And from there I also did my masters in development studies and I wanted to sort of like just to focus on issues to do with community and how the community can be developed and because the world that we live today is all about development and you cannot build something if you don't have enough experience. So I thought to myself the time that I have in this world why can't I go back to school and major on the field that I have passion on. So I studied development studies. From there also continue with the program that I am into now. Living in Korogoshi is very hectic, very hectic and it was a mighty, mighty rough road and sharing the experiences and the challenges that we had back then. At least now Korogoshi has improved through the efforts that people like us and people who care the most about the community. We've done a lot of work together with the relevant authorities especially the Catholic Church and now Korogoshi is a place that we can call home. We can confidently say that this is our home, a place that is safer. But then Korogoshi wasn't safe even walking along the streets. You are walking but you always are in a sort of like worried, very afraid you are looking back behind you. You cannot walk like go like more than seven steps without looking back because you are afraid you don't know who is following you. You don't know whether maybe you are the next target. So Korogoshi back then was very, very insecure. He is forced to ring at Vokasi in Human Rights Protection through his organization and the various other community outreach programs that he is involved in. My journey working with the community started way back in 2001 and the way I ventured into working in the community is very to some people might sound funny but to others it would sound like more inspiring in a sense that first used to work with a company called Yoni Liva. I was a line person working in the quality control sort of like department looking at the how the labeling, how the product have been sort of like packaged. So after that I lost my job and had to come back into the community and start now job hunting and in the process when I had nothing to do, I had no source of income and asked myself what else can I do? I am still young and I also felt like I was also resourceful. So and I was also involved in some activities with my church, the Karibagi Catholic Church and I thought to myself now that Karibagi Catholic Church has so many programs and through the program I chose to now to go to this program that is looking after the sick people. They had a small facility that used to go around the village of Korogosho and Karibagi to look for people who are different sickness or complications especially touching on the TB because those days TB was the dangerous disease that people were dreaded TB because a lot of it was connected with when somebody is suffering from TB certain percentage, a large chunk of it was connected with HIV and AIDS so people feared anything to do with TB. So I got into the church and went to that program. So we were walking through all over Karibagi and Korogosho caring for such people. So through the process of working in this program is where I landed to a person or a bump into a person who was working in the deep down in Korogosho in the daycare centers and by that time they were looking for village supervisors and we spoke with them and they told me if you want a job we cannot give you this job here in the streets you need to come to our offices. So that day when we were talking it was on a Sunday. So Monday first thing in the morning I was in the office and I spoke with them just telling stories about who you are, your background and why you want that job. Later did I know that I was being interviewed. After that they told me maybe you come next week now we'll slot in for an interview. Then next week came and went there and sitting there I was waiting to be interviewed but they told me like maybe there's a sudden activity here we want you to do or to help us in doing it. So I helped do that activity after it was going to other evening and they told me now we will not interview you today just come tomorrow then we'll see what to do whether to interview you or tell you what to do next. Tomorrow I came back and I wasn't interviewed I was told you're still waiting for an interview we finished with you long time ago we had interviewed you and we fired you now you are one of the village supervisors so my journey in this field especially working for the children started back then that was in 2002-2003 so all through I've been in this field my key areas of interest are on child protection and you see even you looking at my profile you see a lot of staff geared towards the rights of the child and they should be paying that with the issues of human rights and also advocacy the campaigns and advocacy through the same work so basically I'm also working with the children also they need mentorship and you need to guide them through the processes and also give them the right information on how to move from one direction to another because we need to live positively. I have a lot of time I've been in this field for a long time after I finished school I was in the army I was in boxing I was in third position I was a stage coach and then in LCC after I started in Nairobi city county I was in a club in Komombasa and then I was in two fishes eeemeni saidi ya sabunime juwa, kitu skua na juwa sasa da kitu na fudisha apa sa ii nile ekuloli jilili pata na shiapia na ama vijana at least unona kama sayu wa mefunga shule ukiwa wika busy na kunalo wa kwa idols unapata wei kwa lo wa kwa idols onakujo na jipata kwa mingiako grupun baya batil at least awa ni kona wa apa at at least wala waza ziwa na juwa ni kona wa na furai sawa na juwa pato towa wako pali kuna kitu wana jifuza na pawa wako pali wako sefia asa friend misiyo gopi kwela kwa ke sabunim tu tumelelewa na e na enda na maambia shida at least ata kuna mafijana apa wana mu juwa sabun misiwa fi chagim na maambia ga mutu flang na flang doa me tu saidi a me tu saidi ya na ajiyei choka ona siya tiya patat saba na nilijua apa kariobangu kitaka ku pata David kujiya kariobangu tam pata sabukundu amelilewa na hatakama mungu ame muinu aje isa okulea me toka na it's not about si sipeke hitu atle sabua na nilijua kuna mafutibola apa inje piya na wa saidi ya ya na me tu saidi ya na kila injiya ona tu kwa na kikukuna game mi na enda ni ambeli ni atuna fair kituka mahi atakuja angaliapa anda ni atui sabu one afuja na waku anga piya na tolea fair ata tolea pesaka me alans na waku buka game kwa ina rana kama skune ikenda sana ni skune tatu amane ona so David ametu inua na na shukuru kuna palimimi miswezi ni ni isa waku anile ku mombi amungu sabu kuna kitu maodi amutu ame umboana aia kuna kitu wezi difuza likitu ikondani anko ukarimu ukarimu wezi fundisha amutu ukarimu mezaliwa nao likitu ikondani anko kus kuna atu mabilionia waku batawaku jaliwa na ukarimu yaku kumbuka palia me toka mi simuti rich simuti rich ati sabu na umona ako na anini ako na garipa no sabu kuna wale ma rich rich men batak ashe ina amutu putu yaote batia ile kidoga konaio ameku jabak kwa kumiuni ile lewa so mi niki sema about David ana mandugu egini na katiawa mandugu ote mi mimtu da pengeza siyo David da pengeza oza ziwao kus oza ziwao doa pengewa me wa fundisha yuki tukumbuka palu me toka kus awa mandugu ote ota kuja wa wakai kariobangi batawaku osi kariobangi kila wakati ni kama badeu ujirali atakama na kambali kidoga matana kumbuka apa na kama David iendu ameku akitu sa idea adi ugemi na neli cheza atu puku kuna fair kini aka tu provideia nga penatu kumabi asanti kutupromot kutuprovide pia vitu ame tuletea gloves apakuna gloves ame tuletea while there are many factors that cause for motivation man included nga kumiki ugemi Taxigi na kuma kama kama kama kumiki kutupromot kakaabutu kumiki kajada kumiki kumiki kufikutu kama kutupramot kama But with the change of times, you also have to change also, you modify your activities, you be more innovative. So they are nowadays called community health promoters. So through those people, we normally visit those people in the community, under the community outreach program. Also at the same level, we also identify cases of HIV and AIDS within the community, especially focusing on the children. And when it gets such cases, we connect them with the local dispensaries where they get to be cared for and given the necessary treatment. Again, we talk with the parents in terms of issues of sensitizing them or the importance of education of their children, especially the girl child. But on the same level, we are not sort of like forgetting the boy child because a lot of attention has been girl child. Everything is girl child. So we are wondering tomorrow this boy child is going to be marginalized, is going to be forgetting, forgotten. So also we are focusing on that also, all the genders across the board taken care of in the program. We found that there are so many programs within Kenya that are so much girl child oriented. You'll find that a girl child maybe is gone through school from class one to class eight. Maybe she drops there. There are some activities that are also waiting for her along the way. Like maybe there are some short courses she'll be taken to addressing. She'll be taken to do some other activities. But the boy child, once you drop at class eight, that's it. So what is remaining for them? They look for an alternative and that is maging. They get into activities which are very insecure. And once the society is very insecure, no jobs for the boy child. What do you expect? It will be chaotic. So we are looking at ways in which we can focus our attention on the boy child. We run a program called Ombes Daycare Centers which to some quotas is referred to preschool. This is a concept that children are brought in one place maybe of one of the selected daycare mothers. Some quotas are referred to as teacher. So because they start the process of nurturing this child from that tender age. Because we pick children from zero to six years. Because the parents in the villages have a lot of challenges and they need to also put food on the table. So they are always out and they don't have any person who can be trusted to look after these children. So the concept is about that. Children are brought into the center and there is somebody, a caregiver sort of, who get involved in taking care of this child. So they go out to look for, sort of like to forage for income generating activities. We work through the processes with, we have a village committee. People who live within the community. They are the ones who know these families, especially the vulnerable families. So they select them. So through training, we have trained these daycare mothers on issues to do with early childhood education and development. So they are charged with the issues of caring for the children. So the parents also in the village know that there is a person somewhere who is well trained and well equipped to look after our children and take care of them in a more conducive environment. So they bring them there. So we normally get to identify them through the village committees. Me ni project ko dineta wa sien. Me huwana tembelia daycare center zetu tu kona daycare zi tati. Huwana zi tembelia kila siku na kila moe zi piya tu kona uji, unga ya uji na scaritu no aletea at least wapikiwa toto. Izi daycare center zetu na zahapa koro kocho. Nawa toto aliyo hapa inwa toto na tokakwa izi family zikochini. So at least tu na pata um toto alila lakwa o hadya kunyua ta uji atya patata chakula. Ana leto deikiwa nanja. So sien tulikamap na ia idea yaku. Tembelia izi vanara bod deikiwa centers na deikiwa mothers. Tu no aletea unge ya uji na scaritu wana pikiwa toto uji. At least wali wali toka kwenyumba wa kiwa nanja wa izi patata kichakula. Waki pata io uji na ikona nutrients na niyake ina izawa sa idea. Second thing, mimi kama Lucy. Mimi kajiwa koro kocho. Mimi ni community health promoter. Kila month na puja. Nikona work tape na tembe na zinc na tembelia wa toto. Mali wa toto ako izito izu wana chezea. Most of the times ina pata uchafu. So na pata um toto ana shikuwa na infection na makuhara. Nita shuguli keo um toto kama community health promoters. Awa toto eze kusahidika. So na toto eze kue ana kimbizu hospitali jiyakuhara. So na tembe ana zinc na ores na pewa limu. Kitucha pili piya. Nikipata um toto jia pele kwa clinic mama yake yuko busy ile halia kutafuta. Piya nta chukwe iyo jukumu ya kuchukwa huyum toto kama health promoter. Nim pele ke kwa faciliti etu ii kwa paka koro kocho. Wendo akasahidika kwa clinic. So na pata tuna punguza zile risk. Ya magojwa kama cholera. Na magojwa zingina zizi zofaza kuhara. Io ndo kitu na fanya kama kuzungu kakama ko dineta apa. It is true that challenges are part and parcel of any initiative. But how to overcome is what matters. Ya along this journey have encountered a lot of challenges. And mostly based on issue to do with funding. And sourcing for funding is very difficult. World over. And even to the government also you see the issues of taxes now. And now imagine a small program like us. Like ours. So we are grappling with issues of finances. Funding is not coming by. So that is the major challenge. And currently we are working with different, as individuals we are putting our resources together to see that we can implement the running of the day care centers. There is porridge there for the children. The well balanced one. It needs money. And we don't have that money. So sometimes we put our art together. We contribute a small amount here and there from the managing committee to be able to support that. We also have mattresses in the centers for the children to sleep on. It is also that one require money, much also. We also need some other centers, need some stationers to write. And also for the children to read. We don't have that money to do that. Largely finances are the most important, the most challenge that we have. Also there is issues of tackling insecurity. They are not jobs. The youth that we are chaning out every day from our education institutions. They are out there in the streets. They have no jobs. So most of them tend to get into the streets and become maybe for lack of a better word, they are robbing people. So our streets are very insecure, especially koro gushu. The issues of food. Lots of families, they don't have enough income. So getting food is also a challenge. Things do motivate me. And one of them is a very strong team behind me. I don't work in isolation, I don't work only as David. And the people that I work with are so much involved and they are committed at what they do. They are giving me all the information that is required in terms of coming with different ideas and information on how we can move this programme or this organisation forward to another level. The future is bright for David and his fellas as they continue to keep the fire burning and protect in the community's welfare. We can't describe CEO David O'Ketch kama mkaji wa koro kuchu mwenya mkamaap na ideas of saidi ayuts na watoto aliyo chini ali chalduldana saidi asom to ya na groha pakijua kuna tuna takaku changi kochi na takai kochi in future awa toto tuna build up kwanzi ya chini wajawa changi kochi kwe ina perspective akuna wizi ime changi to slam ime kwa asset kozi tukiansa chini tuta ibuild up i kwe kitriyamaana umtu iniki grow up niki maambia tuna faku changi kochi ataku ya asome amalize tupatema CEO tupatema radio presenters TV presenter tapata watuengi through e change to that implement. My head call I want to see a change world a change koro gosho a community that everybody is participating in their day-to-day activities this participation everybody is involved and everybody is doing the bit that is doing na fiil kwa koz ni organization ime ijo tamu toto ni imeni saidi ya kwa education ya ngu o me kwa with the helping hand up a koro kocho kama mi imi mtu iwa kochi imeni saidi ya nimi maaliza shule ime kwa deiki ya mada saidi ya nimi nipromotu ni me kwa kudineta so na hupmon ta kwa moende moende moende na tuta change kochi tu kiwa na siyen koro kocho One of the renown actors Dazzle Washington used to say he speaks passionately about dreams dreams connected with goals and if your dreams are not connected goals then they remain just dreams so if your dreams are not connected with goals ultimately you are going to fail so he is talking about goals that are very much oriented with your dreams and he says for you to succeed you have to have discipline you have to be disciplined, you have to be committed because he is saying we have to be committed and consistent and also he is saying that if you are not committed you will fail but for you to succeed you have to have consistency and that is what I stand for through this journey I have been committed in everything that I do and I believe that if I was only just committed and not having that consistency I don't think children and youth empowerment organization or network would have been at this point that we have reached so it is all about commitment and consistency so that is what I urge anybody viewing us or anybody following us you have to be committed and consistent and gear all your dreams with your goals