 Yes, welcome back to Why In The Morning. My name is Mary Mosses. It's very more on every social media platform. You can interact with me directly or with the family handles at Y254 on Twitter, Y254 on Instagram and Y254 on Facebook. Hashtag is Why In The Morning. This is Entrepreneurship Tuesday. So my guest, my first guest of the day, has passion for humanitarian work. She has passion for giving back to the community, but still makes her own money on the side. She goes by Mombasa and she's from Mombasa County, 001 Thiru San. Alright, your camera is number four for radar. Just introduce yourself. Any language you can mix it, you can use English, you can use Israeli. I'm a human rights activist, a humanitarian, a youth leader from Mombasa, Kenya. Only at the age of 20, you're already a leader. Alright, have you always been like this growing up? Yeah, I was growing up with this confident, cheeky child and I never got to understand actually what it meant, but I guess it comes from the inner drive and growing up I just discovered that this is my thing. This is your thing, leadership is your thing. Exactly. You're yet to join campus in January. What are you going to be studying? I'm going to study social work and community development. Social work and community development. And this is where your passion is at. Why did you choose to work with people and work for people? Because actually growing up, I grew up in a society where I've been seeing the imbalance of resources and poverty and stuff. So I never had this helping hand, somebody to help me. And actually what we have, the Kosterian perspective by then, is that Amuzung is the only one who can actually help. So that used to piss me off. So I took that task upon me and that one day when I make it, when I have the ability to help someone, then I'm going to start right from there with the little that I have. Alright, so the notion has always been, foreigners are the only people who can help. Exactly. Kenyans cannot help themselves. This is a notion that you want to get out of people's mind. And especially they can use for sure. And actually it's not necessarily when you become a billionaire, it's when you can help someone. You just start with the simple things. What are some of the simple things that you're doing to help your community as we speak? If I can use a good example, I started an initiative of geometrical sets for the KCPE candidates who have come from a very needy family. And I just applauded everything on my Facebook account. And from the feedback I got from people, I started receiving money via my MPress without any pay-below-what. I started receiving money and I helped 1,110 candidates with geometrical sets. Class of 2019. Class of 2018. The result that was just released. Yesterday. 1,110 candidates from Gangze. 1,110 candidates were able to sit their mathematics examinations without stress, courtesy of this initiative that you started. Exactly. Where did you get these needy students from? How did you pick them? I used to visit the needy schools because I applauded it and I was open to suggestions to schools which are very needy. And from the suggestions, I did my research and I started getting communication with the teachers and that's how I got to the core of it. Alright. I'm trying to imagine all this communication, all this coordination, all this work at your age with your responsibilities. You want to have a good time as always. At this age it's obvious you want to go out with your friends. You want to go to the beach with your friends. Where do you get the time to fix all these people's problems in your schedule? Okay. One thing that drives me and I work with this message is that everything that I do, I make sure I have fun. Yeah. And I enjoy that process of actually helping and putting a smile on someone's face. And that is the reason why I joined Rotary. Yeah. Because in Rotary we do these community services and after that we also have activities and events which actually for having fun on the process. You have a leadership position at Rotary Club. Yes. I'm still insist at the age of 20. Alright. What is the average age of the people you work with at Rotary? Actually I'm the youngest who is 18 then followed by me who is 20. The youngest who is 18 then followed by you who is 20. Exactly. How is it leading people all the time? You know sometimes it's hectic because they feel like you're too childish and you're pushing for everything to be okay. They just want you to take it slow. Take it easy for reader. They feel like you're naive and been there. Just take it easy. We've seen this before. Exactly. And this is something you have to do with. Yeah. State of school and that is propagated by the older generation. Yeah. Alright. I feel that. I'd like to take you back. You gave a speech or a talk at Engage. Engage which is a very good movement in this country right now. It's a platform for people who have achieved and they get to inspire other people through their stories. Yes. You told your story there and it was quite interesting. People don't know this much about you so maybe you can share this with us. Okay. So I shared my story at Engage against all odds. I've made it to where I am. And just a snippet of the whole story is that I grew up from a very well off family until my dad lost his job when I was in class 7. That is when I totally saw the confusion in my life because nobody communicated and stuff. And growing up joining high school was actually a little bit... So it was not easy because at some point when I was in Form 2 I had to drop for a whole term. I didn't go to school for two terms. Then I joined the following year. Then on the process finishing school my parents divorced. So the movement like mom going back home I needed to have like I needed to have a place and accommodation. Moving from different houses. How old were you at this time? I'm 20. At that time? At that time I was 17. Yeah. So I've stayed to like six homesteads so far. Moving from one friend's home to another relative to another. I don't want to tell the story. Yeah. But it has not been easy. Yeah. But what I can say is the moment you know what you want and you're very passionate of what you want to achieve. No matter how the currents hit you. You just have to get your mind there. Because after all if you give up what will happen to your life? You will have given up. And who will be standing telling my story? Nobody is going to be able to tell the story when you give up. Life have been today for this interview. No. So if you choose to stand up by your own self because actually everyone has a story. Everyone has a story. It's just that maybe yours is different from mine but the way it hit you it's actually maybe the same. And it might be worse because you might be having a homestead and you didn't have a homestead. But what you went through is actually worse for you and mine didn't hit me that hard the way it did. And it's all here at the end of the day. So we just have to appreciate the fact that everybody has a story. And you should stop blaming each other and just work on what you want to achieve. Work on what you want to achieve. Being able to achieve this mindset of stability. You are a very stable person considering what you have gone through. So many people would have ended up with mental issues, mental health issues. But you seem strong and you seem confident enough to move on. What is that food that you feed your mind to make it this strong? Actually I know it's hard. It's not easy. At some point I used to sit at the ferry and I just move the way it ferries people. Until I'm being tapped on. Young woman, what are you doing here? Because everybody at some point you're stressed and you just don't know. It doesn't mean that I'm strong, I'm here telling my story that it didn't hit me at some point it did. But the people you actually choose to stand with, the words that you let your mind digest and what you have in store in your heart is actually what drives you. Because some people will pity you, will cry with you the moment you're telling them your story and then they'll just leave it at that. After all we've cried together of pity you, then they'll leave it at that. Some will take that task upon you to keep checking on you. So those are the people you should feeling on and actually hold yourself onto those people because there are words and there are ways, actually opening ways for you. And believing in God because this far, just thank God. God is, God summarizes everything. I usually have a conversation with God. I tell him say that now or you give me an answer to this or else. Yeah, you talk to him like you are one on one with him. Like you are one with him. Yeah. Alright, I feel that. I feel that. And that you've built a relationship with God, you've built a relationship with people and this is your support structure and this is what keeps you sane right now. I feel that. Alright, so moving on to other things, moving on with your life, your future is coming, you're going to study, you're going to college, you're going to need to carry on with these projects that you've been doing. Are you going to seek some other people to help you with them? Are you going to be recruiting? First, I'll start with my brand because I started a brand this year, Selling African Prince and luckily I got nominated for the Entrepreneurship Award under the Women in Business Award 2019 Kenya under the category of Young Entrepreneur. Actually it gave my brand a mileage and got out there. So it's a challenge upon me. I want to first expand on El Bravo African Collections. Yeah, from adding more people into my team from the supplies because you can imagine I'm now here for an interview and yet business has to go on out there. Business has to go on. Yeah, money. So El Bravo is the name of the brand. Yeah. El Bravo deals in African Prince and then Bravo deals in fabric. Yes. Alright, so maybe you can give us a brief history of El Bravo. How did El Bravo come about? From the name first. From the name. So my father used to work as a tour driver and the tourist actually used to call him for the work he does they used to congratulate him and say El Bravo. So the friends took that name and named him Ali Bravo. Even right now even if you go back to Shanzu where he was born and raised and say I'm looking for Bravo you're going to be taken to my father. So after the frustrations and staying away from my father we actually didn't speak for a year and then you know that you need that father figure. So I decided to maintain that relationship with him for the business that I'm going to start I should name it after him and not actually directly Ali and I took El Bravo which is his nickname. So this is something for Daddy. Daddy's got it right there. So we have the story about the name, the story about the business. How did it start and where did you get the cover top from? Because I'm imagining you were struggling back then. Okay so I got this 24 day contract job at, should I name the company really? Not necessarily, you don't have to but you got a 24 day. We actually used to market for this company because when they have a change in packaging you go to, you have to talk to the shopkeeper and convince them to buy the product and just informing them of the changes. So it was for the 24 days I earned actually a very good salary. It was 17k. It was like 17,000 after 24 days. So I decided to, I bought this pink dashiki and I remember the first day I wore it I went for a clean up with some youth in some correctional facility. Then my friends were like this shirt is awesome. We usually see it on Facebook. Everybody is now fascinated about the outfit. I'm like just bought it at Marikiti, this is just there. Now when I saw the interest I decided this is where I'm going to earn money. So I started with the dashiki shirts. So you started selling the dashiki shirts. From the 17,000 you took a portion of the money, bought some dashiki shirts and sold the dashiki shirts. And then what did you move on to next? I saw the market being open because from the prices people were quoting of the ketangers then I thought if I'm selling the dashikis and people are now asking me can you design this top for me with this Ankara? Then I said why not do this thing? Then I got it upon me and... Opportunity for expansion. Yes. And what is this? How long ago is this? Actually the bravo has been operating. It's been operating for 6 months now. Alright, 6 months and steady growth for sure. Where do you get your customers from? I do it online because now I don't have a physical address. I'm now actually working on their physical addresses. So it's just online, on Instagram, everywhere and I deliver. Alright, your customers are only from Mombasa County or across the coast and the country? No, actually around the country because the biggest order I've ever received was from a friend of mine who stays in Germany and I got 25 pieces of dashiki shirts. So I sell across the country. Alright, what is the origin of these dashiki shirts and the fabrics that you would give them? I get them from Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam? Yeah. So it's Africa. Yeah. Right here it is Africa. So make Africa great again. Exactly. What is the future with your business? Now that you say that you're planning to make it bigger and better and establish it so that by the time you're checking into school it's something stable. For now, what I'll say is I cannot give what I don't have and I'm actually using El Bravo for my upkeep and some of the money that I earn back to the community. At some point when I get stable that is and my stability comes in after I'm done with school I guess or any other opportunity that comes along I'll definitely give El Bravo to the community like on a sure sure sure and honestly speaking everything that I'll earn from El Bravo by then if I get stable anything that I earn from El Bravo won't get into my pocket but directly to the community. All right. This selflessness that you're using right here right now not so many people have it not so many people can give like that. What makes you that person? Because I actually know how it feels like to lack and to actually get from someone. Wow. Wonderful. I'm inspired for sure. Tell them how they can get a piece of the El Bravo fabrics and the El Bravo shirts and the looks from El Bravo. Okay. So you can follow El Bravo African collections on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or you can contact us at 0718-43-2585 anytime we deliver anywhere. Anytime and anywhere for sure. Your last words to the people who are watching right now. I'd like you to talk to the people who sat their KZB and are watching us right now because the results are out. We have somebody with 43 marks and we have somebody with 440 something marks. What I can say is that it's never that serious so long as you gave it your best and that was your like you gave it to your whole accept what you've received as your results and now from there, what do you want? What are you going to do now that that is what you've achieved? Moving forward. Moving forward. Just sit and don't compare yourself with anyone. Don't think of the frustrations if I did this I would have, no, no, no. So long as you gave it your best shot now that that is what you've achieved what are you deciding to do with what you've achieved because what you choose to do now what you choose to do or not to do now cannot be changed in the future. So what you choose to do or not to do now cannot be changed in the future. You have to focus on right now and the future as a candidate. All right, remind them again how they can get a hold of El Bravo because we need to sell these pieces for sure. We are actually going to sell them. So full El Bravo African collections on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or you can call us at 0718-432-585. Thank you very much for coming through to Why in the Morning. We appreciate you so much. Keep doing what you're doing. Thank you. And all the best in your endeavors. Thank you. All right, we've come to the end of the first interview of the day. We had Faridah who's a humanitarian and she has a clothing line as well and she's dealing in African fabric. You can find her on social media at El Bravo. El Bravo African. El Bravo Africa for sure. Buy a piece to save a life somewhere because the money is going to be saving lives. That is what she said. I go by the name of Barry Moses or it's Barry Moses on social media. Alex is coming up next. Don't go nowhere.