Mbugua Mumbi’s Story
Early Life
Mbugua Mumbi was born and raised in a single parenting household in abject poverty. His mother Mumbi never went to school or got any gainful employment, and ended up being a casual labourer in the huge coffee estates about 15 kilometers from the village.
Hunger was the most constant item in the family’s menu of life. We survived on a single meal a day on the better days. On countless days mother would boil dry maize or bananas for supper. Other days we would survive on a cup of sugarless porridge. It was so tough on us that sometimes we would scavenge in the dustbins within the shopping centre looking for a morsel of any leftovers. We would even collect chewed sugar cane waste and chew it all over again in an attempt to whet the unbearable hunger pangs. It was a dog’s life and it seemed like it was there to last forever.
All his life Mbugua Mumbi never came to know or meet his biological father.
Many Unanswered Questions
As a young boy I used to ask myself a lot of questions. Why don’t we have a father? Why doesn’t my mother have a decent job? Why are we so poor? Is God just and fair or is He discriminative? Who amongst us sinned against God? Can’t God forgive us? How long will this last? Why us? Why are some children born in royal riches and others in wretched poverty?
We suffered extreme humiliation from the society sometimes being referred to as bastards. Yet in the midst of these privations and excruciating poverty, pain, nakedness, hunger, desperation and humiliation my mother stood out strongly as a beacon of hope. Her mantra of thĩna ndúrĩ mĩri (poverty has no roots) gave us hope that one day all these unbearable challenges would pass away. “Don’t use your current challenges as the plumb line for your future”, Mother would always remind us.
The Birth of a Dream
When he was in Primary School, Class 5, he was sent home for lack of a school uniform, up to this level the mother had not afforded a school uniform for him. After staying for two weeks at home the mother asked him to accompany her for a visit to his nearest home town, Thika, which was about 15 km away. They walked for lack of bus fare.
On arrival mother and son entered Barclays Bank where a woman friend to the mother was working as a messenger. The mother was here to borrow 30 bob (less than half a US dollar) to enable her buy the uniform. The woman was empathetic enough to help the mother. The bank environment greatly excited the boy who asked the mother, “Mom, is it possible for me to get a job when I complete school? The mother graciously replied, “My son, it’s your choice. If you work hard and disciplined no one can stop you”.
The boy’s dream had started.
He started telling all and sundry that when he cleared school, he would become a bank in Barclays Bank.
Going through high school was a Herculean task for lack of school fees, the boy being sent home frequently. He didn’t make it to the university and had to drop out of college after only one semester for lack of money.
The Dream is Realized
After engaging in all manner of odd jobs, he kept looking for a job opportunity in Barclays Bank, but all in vain. At one appoint he almost reached the end of his tether spiraling into hopelessness and despair. It took him about three years to get the lowest paying job in this bank, tea boy, owing to his lack of the requisite education for a better job.
In his seventh year in Barclays, Mbugua Mumbi, was a senior manager heading the second largest branch of the bank, without any degree.
The Road Least Travelled
In 2008, at the prime of his banking career, Mbugua Mumbi decided to leave employment. His resignation letter was titled, The Road Least Travelled. He took the immense risk of embarking on a journey of self-awareness inspired by his first book, Excuse Me! Your Dream is Calling You. He wanted to start motivational speaking and corporate training.
No Egg Hatches Overnight
Every journey to success and self-realization is punctured by myriad challenges. If the journey isn’t challenging the destination won’t be rewarding. By the time he left the bank he had a mortgage that he was unable to service barely ten months after leaving. This led to foreclosure and the family was evicted and had to move to a rental residence. Financial challenges were almost overwhelming. But his Personal Strategic Plan (PSP), crafted before leaving the bank become the compass and his greatest inspiration during the journey’s toughest times.
The Journey Continues
Mbugua Mumbi is holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Leicester UK, is a respected Motivational Speaker, Certified Life Coach and Corporate Trainer. He has undergone expansive training in people development programs, both locally and internationally.
He is the founder and CEO of Success Signature Co. Ltd., a human capital development consultancy specializing in areas of Personal Productivity, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Customer Experience, Sales and Marketing and Team Building.
Mbugua Mumbi is known for his uniquely high-octane delivery that is full of inspiration, humour, passion, knowledge, authenticity and connectivity with the audience.
He is a sought-after facilitator and media personality who has featured on both national TVs and radio stations to provide leadership wisdom, business management insights and motivational perspectives.
Mbugua Mumbi is also an established inspirational author currently with four books namely; Excuse Me Your Dream is Calling You, Vitamins for Success, Becoming an “A” Student in Life and Designed a champion
Mbugua Mumbi’s Life Inspiration
| That when the years turn my vision dim and gray, I shall still be seeing beauty in the tired wrinkles of my face and I shall take pride and comfort out of the fact and knowledge that when God granted me the opportunity I gave myself selflessly in empowering other people to discover themselves, realize their full potential and exploit the unlimited opportunities on the road to better and more fulfilling lives. |
