Everyday We are Planting New Dreams

Wilson Maina is a handsome young man with an infectious smile, admired by many in his home Mathare Valley, one of the largest slums in the world. Only a few years ago Wilson was a thug, a violent criminal feared by all. He chose that destructive type of life because he thought it would be better to shot dead by a policeman than to slowly starve to death from poverty. But in 2000 things changed when he heard about Jamii Bora and realised to his astonishment that he was welcome to be a member. For the first time in his life he found that people did not look down on him but instead welcomed him to join the membership. Jamii Bora encouraged him to believe in himself and showed him that he can get out of poverty if he wants to if he is determined enough.

 

Wilson was moved and stunned that good people could trust him and believe in him – a thug and a criminal. He joined Jamii Bora in early 2000 and today he is a truly changed person. He is a good husband and father and he is running four small businesses. He is now even managed to become a landlord with two rental properties. He started with a loan of KES 2,000 (US$ 29) and by the end of 2006 he had borrowed 18 times. He has taken out a housing loan, but now dreams of moving to the new town in Kaputei. Having managed to change his own life, Wilson is now active in counseling other young men to get out of crime. Today Wilson is a model for many and he demonstrates that in Jamii Bora it does not matter where you come from, what matters is where you are going.