I got a chance to go for RYLA(Rotaract Youth Leadership Awards) at the UON,something that had been on my mind for a while reason being my previous work did not provide time for the extra-curricula.RYLA is an event thats held every year to honour rotaractors and rotarians who have provided exemplary service and leadership.It also provides an opportunity to learn and experience what true leadership is through various presentations and team building.
The event was graced by I &M’s MD, a man i would term as being simple even though am sure there is nothing simple about his fat payslip at the end of the month.Mother Theresa being one of the few people that influenced him at an early age ,his life was then set out to be simple and dedicated to service.He reminded us of this quote that left a lasting memory “To double your rate of sucess you need to double your rate of failure” meaning that the more we tried in life and failed, the more we learnt of our mistakes ,flaws and limitations and this places us at a better chance of achieving success.Based on what i have read in life the moment you make the first step and try,you can never experience failure,that in itself is the road to success.
Another story that shed some light on the same topic was told of a loyal and hardworking donkey that fell into a well.The master sadenned by the turn of events bearing in mind that he loved the donkey for all the hardwork,loyalty and service provided commanded his servants to fill up the well so as to give the donkey a proper state of the art burial,thinking the donkey was dead.
The donkey on realising what was hapenning ,psyched himself up in thinking the master was trying to save him and would leap on to the next heap of soil that was bein thrown in.after sometime the donkey had risen to the top and was rescued.Lesson learnt being that lets take lifes obstacles and challenges as a blessing and use them to build us.(Kenya has been bleeding,wounded from a war amongst ourselves,a war in which this time there are no heroes or heroines(or sheroes as Ngilu would say).Am pretty sure our freedom fighters cried at the state that our country was in,but its time to surge forward and learn from it,let it build us for a better Kenya)
Later on i got a chance to meet this lady called Leah.Young,pretty,intelligent and inspirational.A software engineer at Kenyatta University,Leah is also a singer,member of a church band and teaches piano and flute.
Young as she may be she has achieved quite alot and is headed for big things.Leah has perfomed at weddings,composing,harmonising and backing up other singers.She has perfomed at the village market and for sometime did it for free.As a result due to demand from the fans the management had to contract the group to perform regularly at VM.
I bet free marketing has its down side but for lookin at such a case made me realise its importance.Giving service first thus demonstrating quality.Peeps get used to it and realise you are worth it.They are then willing to pay for the service since they know what they are getting.
Through referrals Leah has had a no of gigs at various embassies,taught at various schools and the money she made from all this,enabled her to purchase an electronic keyboard,flute and laptop.
Quite typical of the young kenyan woman whom we would think would go on a shopping spree for clothes,jewellery or even would do away with school to pursue her musical career.
Her deep passion to be the best at what she does,be affiliated with people who are good at what they do,touched me.
