Brian Magwaro Interview
Brian Magwaro had a vision and made it happen. He is a young entrepreneur born in Kenya who started a project called Young country Change-makers which focuses on youth development, Violence prevention, Health and Entrepreneurship in Kenya. In the interview Brian tells us more about his project, how he grew up and in his opinion what is holding back the youth from being sucessful.
Youth Village: Please tell us about yourself?
Brian: I am a 25 year old young social entrepreneur born and raised in Kenya.
Youth Village: Where did you grow up? And how was it?
Brian: I was born in Nairobi, my family spend some time living in different places but I have lived most of my life in Kisumu City which is the third largest city in Kenya. Life has not been rosy lots of ups and downs but most of my life I have lived in Estates which has tought me a lot about peer influence and the life in informal settlements.
Youth Village: What is the name of your project? And what is it all about?
Brian: The name of my Organization is called Young country Changemakers (formerly called Destiny vision youth group)it is a registered Youth led Organization which employs a skill building concept reaching young people with activities that are cost effective, sustainable, youth- led and which also appeal to the aspirations of the youth; that of achieving independence, freedom, and personal growth through constructive interdependence, cross – generational dialogue, acquisition or improvement of life skills and leadership.
Youth Village: When did it start and What motivated you to start this project?
Brian: It started way back January 2008 and officially registered in May 2008. The post election violence in Kenya acted as a wake up call to us as young people in Kenya after seeing how young people were used to destroy, kill and steal in different part of our country. We felt something must be done and we are the people who should bring the change we need. This was a wake up call which motivated us to start this organization which has now created a lot of impact in different communities in Kenya.
Youth Village: What do you want to achieve with the project?
Brian: We want to create a community free from discrimination, idleness, hatred, incitements and violence.
Youth Village: What is the focus of this project?
Brian: Our projects focus on youth development, Violence prevention, Health and Entrepreneurship.
Youth Village: How can one get involved in the project?
Brian: One can get involved in the project by either applying as a volunteer, staff or supporter. This can be done through sending us an email [email protected]
Youth Village: How long has the project been running for?
Brian: The projects have been running for the past five years and we have implemented different projects in different informal settlements
Youth Village: Was starting this project your dream?
Brian: Starting the project was my dream because I believe us young people if we come together we are able to make a big difference.
Youth Village: What were some of the challenges you faced as a young person starting your own project?
Brian: As a young person starting an organization you need a lot of courage and passion because getting the name and the vision of the project is not hard but visualizing the vision is never an easy thing you have to be ready for anything. Some of the challenges I have encountered first is developing a team to walk with you with the dream many of the people will fall back and even some of them look at you as a crazy person, secondly is getting funders to get involved in your project most of the times you present your proposals and when it doesn’t go through you start to feel like giving up, Sometimes you get the support and when implementing you feel sometimes you want to have 100% achievement and if it doesn’t work you feel bored but in all this you have to keep in mind your vision.
Youth Village: How has the project changed your life?
Brian: The project has really changed my life in terms of acquiring new leadership skills and ideas I have been able to learn a lot when implementing the project and also when I network with other people from other organizations. It is also through the project that I have been able to travel to seven other different countries which I never expected to travel too.
Youth Village: How has the community benefited from the project?
Brian: The community got a lot of benefit, some being the youths and children participating in our program involve themselves in cleaning the environment, we have a community library where children access books and through our activities youths and children have got access to sport equipments and have got chance to play in different tournaments we have organized.
Youth Village: What’s holding back young people to be successful today?
Brian: A lot of us still want to be employed we are not ready to make our hands dirty and there is high rate of employment. Another thing that is holding back the youth is that the opportunities they are sometimes hard to apply for. For example to get a loan you are asked to bring security may be a title deed or logbook and you don’t own one.
Youth Village: And your biggest achievement yet?
Brian: My biggest achievement is to start a youth center in Kisumu which will enable young people from the city to get involved in different activities and start different businesses.
Youth Village: What do you think are the challenges facing African youth today?
Brian: In my own opinion poverty is one of the greatest challenge that African youth are facing now that there is no jobs and they don’t have businesses to inherit from their families like other youths from other continents.
Youth Village: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Brian: Hehehehe when it comes to personaly seriously I would want to see myself in a big house married,with a Rangerover packed outside and may be a baby saying daddy or baba hehehe!! But coming back to business I want to see myself and my team getting more youths involved as we promote youth participation, we want to see more young people start business and we become the change that we want to see
Youth Village: Who/ what keeps you going through tough times?
Brian: The beneficiaries of the project keeps going when you see that smile of the child when he/she is in the program, that prayer that the old woman in the community take to God on your behalf, that advice that one of the youth will come for it makes me going, another thing is the team that am working with makes me accountable so it makes me know that expect the best more so Migwel,Winie,Steve,Vincent,Zablon and Ann everytime they will ask what are we doing next then you will know there is no time to waste the work has to be done and also seeing what others are doing more so the GCM,Bethwel from MYSA,Ben from Amani Kibera,Bikundo of Face of Kenya/Ande,Ishamael of Blue Cross and Domnick of evolve solutions Lastly organizations like Esperance in Rwanda and CSO-network has been always there to support us in capacity building.
Youth Village: Do you have other projects that you’re working on? If yes tell us about them.
Brian: At the moment I am working on the project called Menya Initiative ‘Mkenya Damu initiative’ the title of the project drawn from a slung meaning ‘ true Kenyans’ seek to include and involve the slum communities in peace building activities by training young talented slum youth to be peace ambassadors, spearhead dialogue between different communities living at the slums and initiate a regular peace festival to be hosted within the different slum areas. Our project goes to the grassroots using forum theatres which will open up discussions among community members from different tribes, religion and different ages.
We are also working with Orphan support international where we want to work with widows who will train young ladies to sew then the clothes will be sold and the money used to support orphans.
Youth Village: Do you believe mentoring will help young people in Africa to start their own businesses?
Brian: Sure I agree on that Young people in Africa need to be brought up from down not because they are illiterate but it will help them to grow slowly because is like giving an hungry dog to guard meat what am trying to say is this young person is given a loan to do business but he/she don’t have food to eat, water to drink, transport to the market, insurance to go to the hospital and he has the money on his hands but surrounded by lots of problem which may lure he/she to use the loan/grant for his/her needs but when they are mentored to learn about the capital, how do you know what is needed in the market and how to make your profit count countries in Africa will have the best Economy ever because we have the strength.
Youth Village: What advice do you have for young people who want to start their own project?
Brian: My advice to other young people nothing comes easily. The bread on the table,that good car we desire ,that country or continent we need cannot be achieved if you and me don’t make our hands dirty. We need to go out as young people all over the world united by the goal of bringing change and make something happen don’t wait for “Naoma Serikali” (I request the government) to do this and this for me because it will never happen.
