MOTIVATING AFRICA – SPOTLIGHT ON RAPHAEL’S OBONYO LEADERSHIP STYLE

Raphael Obonyo has been named Motivational African of the Year in the 2019 Voice Achievers Award.

The annual award by the leading Netherlands magazine Voice Achievers: that creates a voice for Africans around the world, was presented to Mr Obonyo because of his un-paralleled contribution to the empowerment of youth and advocacy for integration of the youth population in the development plans in Kenya and beyond.

Raphael Obonyo is from Kenya. He grew up in Korogocho, the third largest slum in the capital Nairobi where people live in abject poverty. From an early age, He knew that education would be his only route out of poverty and so he made studying his companion.

‘It was impossible to study or do homework in our home because the room was small yet the family was big and there was no enough light as we had to make do with a tiny tin lamp.

Despite the hardships I faced, I was among the top students in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams that year. Unfortunately, my dad couldn’t afford to send me to high school but my friends came together and raised money to pay my fees for the first term, my parents struggled to pay through the other terms.

During holidays, I would walk for 10km from Korogocho to MacMillan Library in the city and back, to study. Despite all these hurdles, I performed well and was admitted to the University of Nairobi, where my dad worked as a cook’.

THE JOURNEY

After my undergraduate education, I did community work in Korogocho before clinching a Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program’s scholarship to do a Masters in Public Policy at Duke University in the United States.

When the call to present profiles for election to the position of a Special Advisor at the United Nations Habitat’s Youth Advisory Board came, I was nominated, and my profile was subjected to a global vote where it received the highest number of votes. The UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is two-year term board comprising 16 young people from across the world. The board members volunteer and serve three main roles; represent young people in local and international forums, advise the UN on how to engage urban youth in sustainable urbanization and development, and strengthen youth participation and advocacy in youth-led initiatives.

Through this UN position, I have managed to travel to different countries around the world, I have spoken at many forums, and I have met and shared platforms with presidents and other global leaders.

Currently, I sit on the Boards of international bodies such as the World Bank and the Global Diplomatic Forum.

I am also giving back to my community. I have initiated various youth and community development projects in Korogocho slums, where I grew up. These include the Miss Koch Girls Education Initiative, Koch FM, the Youth Congress of Kenya and the Kenya Youth Media.

Notably, the Youth Congress of Kenya and Kenya Youth Media have trained many young people from Korogocho on entrepreneurship, filmmaking and journalism. After training, we help facilitate the trainees to access capital to start small businesses. The initiative is helping improve living conditions and reduce poverty amongst the youth. As more young people earn a decent living, it is expected they are less likely to commit crimes.

I have always described myself as a restless dreamer. My ambition is to one day serve as the Secretary General of the United Nations or the President of my country. But most importantly, I want to keep doing my best at every level, to be the best that I can ever be, and to make a difference in the world.

So, I am not satisfied. There is more work to do. I see myself as a work in progress.

I always share the story of my life journey to inspire many young men and women out there born in disadvantaged places and positions. I often urge the youth to live by the 3Ds – dream, discipline, and determination.

TAKING THE LEAD

As a child I was told that a leader is someone who knows the way, shows others the way and goes with them that same way. There are plenty of skills and qualities that make a good leader; Let me flag just a few:

• Purpose: It is important to know why you are doing something. Reason for doing or following something is very important for a leader before she can rally others to follow him/her.

• Conviction, confidence and perseverance: It is vital to have a firm belief that if something is right and if you think you are on the right track then you can influence others too and get your message across.

• Taking risks: Taking risks is not everyone’s cup of tea. As a leader, so much is always at stake that sometimes you have to put your entire wealth or whatever they have at risk.

• Restless: Never to be satisfied with even own work and always look to achieve more. No self glorification nor self-pity.

 Also, some essential leadership skills includes:

• Goal setting

• Communication

• Networking

I strongly believe that leaders aren’t born, they are made. One can become a leader through teaching, learning and observation.  To lead you need a set of skills, that one can acquire through learning, practice and experience.

Make no mistake. There is no genetic factor to leadership. Leaders do not enter the world with an extraordinary genetic endowment. The basics including the capacities and competencies required to lead can be learned. To be a leader you need the desire to learn the requisite skills, clear purpose, focused effort, hardwork and action. Leadership is developed, like all other skills, through deliberate practice – taking risks, working hard, stretching yourself, and stepping outside your comfort zone.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SERVANT LEADERSHIP

I value purpose, more than achievement. Achievements should not be viewed as marks of accomplishment, but rather as calls to action, to do more and to do better.

 Young people that have been inspired to start up great ventures must own this truth : entrepreneurship just like leadership it’s about service.  I think one should not be driven by the urge to acquire material possessions or to make profit. Focus should be on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which you belong.

To enable growth and development, I consider myself a perpetual learner.  I read books – they say when you read you lead. I have read over 300 biographies. From that I get to learn that leaders do not enter the world with an extraordinary genetic endowment.  I often live by the 3Ds – dream, discipline, and determination. I try to work on my self and get a better version of myself everyday.

I have always been inspired by the strength and perspectives of many young leaders who have vision and take risks.

I have faith in the African youth. My passion for the youth is founded on the enormous potential we have to create a better future for ourselves and for others.  It is vital for young leaders to see leadership as a privilege we are accorded to serve.  Youth leadership that is based only on age is not a silver bullet. The value of youth lies not only in age, but in ones vision, creativity, and values.