Hero #11 - Walter, Entrepreneur of boda boda tour business (Kampala)

1. Can you tell us how you started with this boda boda tour business?

After high school, I went to South Sudan. I was looking for a job as I couldn’t afford university. I was working there for a few months and decided to come back to Kampala. I got a loan to rent a boda boda for 6 months like any other boda boda driver and I started giving tours to my customers as they told me they wanted to see more of Kampala.

One day I realised this can make a difference and be a business opportunity. I tried to find out everything ie. history about the places that I need to tell other people. They kept asking me questions and I find out the answers and that’s how I started my boda tour.

Everytime I meet different people around the world, they gave me advice; that’s how I kept going and I came up with many things ie. a Facebook page, and people started writing reviews, blogs and my friends kept passing the word and I’ve 10 boda drivers working for me now. I pay them on a daily basis. They all speak good English, have good experience. Currently I give all the explanation on my tours and I tried to teach them but not all of them picked it up so we do the tours in group so that they can learn it as well.

2. What are some of the challenges that you faced?

People kept asking questions of things that I don’t know and that’s exactly why people who compete with me have gone out of business. There were 3 Americans who wanted to partner with me and wanted more shares in my company but we have a lot of arguments.  And they started their own business but they couldn’t get any customers. So many Muzungus who know them, they kept recommending me because for them, the quality is better on my tours.

3. What is important to make it as an entrepreneur?

For me, I never knew that I would own a business one day so I never knew how to lead but it has been growing slowly. So I think it depends if you like doing something and you try to do it well, then you’ll always be an entrepreneur.

For me, I felt that I wasn’t comfortable being just a boda driver but I prefer to have my own company as a tour guide. So I always strive to learn to do it very well; how to tell good stories, how to satisfy my customers, learn what they want, show them the highlights of Kampala and if you don’t know, find out. Be honest and tell them the answers later.

So for me I believe being an entrepreneur means doing something and if you like it, don’t just end there, you also learn how to do it well, to have happy customers because customers are the ones who’ll recommend it to others and people then get to know about it.

4. What advice do you have for people who want to be entrepreneurs?

People should look at what is in them. They shouldn’t look at what’ll give them quick money or what others have. Look at what they have and how to make it better. Just start from wherever you are and always doing it better. It doesn’t matter what you do ie. being a chicken farmer; have better chicken and others will recommend your chicken.

5. Why is this important (as usual I always end my blog with why what this person is doing is important to me, the writer)?

This is important to me because I see so many boda drivers on the streets and it really takes something to (1) recognise an opportunity; and (2) the ability to capitalise on it and start something which will hopefully inspire others.

At the same time, for me personally, one of the challenges that I faced in Kampala is getting around town and boda boda isn’t exactly the safest mode of transport where a lot of drivers cruise in and out of traffic without helmets. But it does give me comfort that should you want to have a rather local experience of Kampala; seeing the sights and sounds and tasting the local food, that you can always rely on Walter! Plus I heard his night tour’s quite a hit, which I’m looking forward to next week ;)

Contributor: Veronica Yow (Kampala)

Hero # 10 - Brian, the Positive Role Model Builder (Epping)

While I wasn’t working last year, I accompanied my now retired Dad to his gig at Open House (http://www.openhouse.org.au/).

I asked Dad what he was doing, why and why he thought it was important.

What?

Dad - Getting kids, currently having trouble at school or home, to re-focus their lives by practical work and being around positive role models.

We start with hello and a handshake, then exercise via fun games. At lunch, it’s a chew and a chat, and at work it’s building, carpentry/joining, and mechanics.

Why? 

Dad - According to the kids – YES! 

Many have indicated a better overall interest in school. The adults get a great sense of achievement also, and a connection to the youth of the community. The strength of rapport is obvious. 

According to one of the young men themselves, "I’ve spent much less time in the principal’s office, and I’ve learnt lots of skills my parents didn’t have time to teach because they got divorced.”

We get to learn as much about ourselves as the young men do.

And all while picking up some valuable building skills to use in our house renovation! 

Contributor: Paul  McManus (Melbourne) 

Hero #9 - Mahmoud, Taxi Driver Extraordinaire (Cairo)

I first met Mahmoud on a very normal day; getting into a cab, fretting about whether this cabbie will understand me or my very broken Arabic, take me on another joy ride around Maadi, whether his metre will be rigged, whether he will have change, whether he will harrass me, you know the usual. 

But it turns out Mahmoud was the most pleasant taxi driver I've ever met, with perfect English and if I remember correctly, shared the joys of Ramadan with me. So I got his number and that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Over the course of 2 months or so, the girls and I have grown to love Mahmoud as our personal chauffeur, bodyguard, tourist guide, someone we look up to, someone we turn to.

When Mahmoud invited us to his home, his lovely wife prepared a gastronomical Egyptian meal for us (the best maashi ever!) and we danced the night away under the guidance of Mahmoud's sweet daughter and neighbour who spared us a few hip turning lessons. 

In the commonly bumper-to-bumper traffic of Cairo, Mahmoud shared the wise wisdom of his father, the joys of growing up with values an utmost priority in his upbringing, the dismay in the lost of such emphasis in today's world in pursuit of material wealth. Mahmoud shared the days when his father was home early from work, spending precious time with each of his children, ensuring they are on the right track and Mahmoud's decision to return from Qatar and Saudi to be close to his family, regret of such years when he was abroad and missed the opportunity to watch his son grow up and be his guiding pillar. 

As with most heroes, I like to share what they mean to me. Mahmoud, being this amazingly honest and kind taxi driver (which is unfortunately near extinct in Cairo) means foreign females like myself can travel safely in this mega city.Beyond that, it's Mahmoud's value of how he sees people; all the same, Christians or Muslims, rich or poor, black or white, and treat them just the same, which garners him the respect which he so truly deserves. 

And above all, it's how he treats us, like family, opening his home, his family to welcome us, which fortunately is very commonly Egyptian, hospitality you'll never find anywhere else in the world. Mahmoud was with me outside the waiting room, translating what the doctor said, yes it's still a broken foot. A ride in Mahmoud's taxi, complete with Sponge Bob Square Pants greeting you at the front seat is very much a joy ride and if you're lucky, you'll walk away with more than just a smile, with some words of wisdom, a story or two, and a great friend intact!

Contributor: Veronica Yow (Cairo)

Hero #8 - Dr M Youssf, Professor/Artist (Cairo)

I met Dr Mohammed at the El Sawwy Culture Wheel coincidentally and was fascinated by his range of clocks. Using the most conventional materials, reinventing the way we observe these items, putting them together to create art. 

According to Dr Mohammed who's also a lecturer at a Faculty of Arts, he would like his viewers to be shocked, to think outside of the box, to trigger the creativity in all of us, even a little eccentricity. 

What this means to me is there is room for everyone and there is room to be more. A professor can be an artist. A banker can be a social entrepreneur. A lawyer can be a cook. 

Dr Mohammed's favourite piece is the one on the right. He picked up the tree bark from the road and draws inspiration from everywhere, finding comfort in turning the worthless to the worthy. 

Dr Mohammed's work calls for a little more attention, a little bit more time in appreciating the details and in return, a little bit more joy in appreciating the norm in an unusual way..

Contributor: Veronica Yow (Cairo)

Hero #7 - Marie, the one who opted out of the corporate world into community development (Perth)

Photo courtesy of http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.au

I must admit I’ve never written an article for a blog at all. The thought often intrigues me but alas, there seems to always be things I have to do. When V asked me to do a guest blog, it was exciting and scary at the same time! Never done this before! It can only end in two ways right? If it ends well then, I’d like to attribute it to the amazing woman this article is about and if it doesn’t end so well, then I shall affectionately say, “Me no English! English no no!” Now, with the disclaimer out of the way, let me tell you a story that I hope, will lift your spirit up for a second or two. 

The story begins with a young girl living in Mauritius by the name of Marie. Experiencing life as any child would, learning the nuances of the world without having a care. But unlike other girls her age she was born with vision in just one eye, Marie struggled through first years of schooling as a dyslexic….. Writing backwards, articulating poorly, avoiding ALL her reading throughout her schooling, fudging her way through classes and eventually requiring remedial lessons. In her later years of primary schooling, her struggle was compounded by regular fits of epilepsy, or petit mal, for which she underwent four years of drug treatment which destroyed her stomach.  At this point in time, her parents decided that it was time to move to greener pastures and Marie was 11 years old when her family migrated to Perth.  Her knowledge of the English language was quite basic, but enough to get by.  Her family bought a farm in what was then rural metro Perth and her 3-leg commute to school took her 1 hour 20 minutes each way, every day. But she did that without complaint because that’s just how it was.

Consider for a moment, how hard her life would be at this point and her chances of success in life! Eventually she managed her epilepsy, she lived with her dyslexia and she received English and elocution lessons to “fit in”.  Then she finished high school. Not one of her family members or immediate relatives had ever been to university - - - but now, Australia provided an opportunity which her parents supported.  Somehow, using her skills in one particular school subject, she scraped through her final year at school and was admitted to Curtin University where she studied for four years before finally graduating with a Double Degree in Business & Arts.

Throughout her time at Curtin, Marie was actively involved in campus life and embraced the diverse clubs and cultures, being a migrant herself. She took up every opportunity she was presented with to attend courses, workshops and activities that would help her personal development ……. including one particular Dale Carnegie course which made a real impact.  Like all students, Marie had a few casual jobs.  She managed to save money for trips to attend conferences in the Eastern States from time to time during her breaks.  She absorbed everything she learned and by the age of 20, Marie had written down her “list of goals”.  On this list were all her personal and career goals in her life which she memorised.

Her determination led her to a secure a leadership role in an international student association, and as soon as she graduated, Marie went on a graduate traineeship to Canada.  And thus, she started ticking off her goal list. 

Not five years later, and back in Perth, Marie was offered a partnership in a PR & Marketing Agency with some of WA’s leading spin doctors at the time. Never one to turn down an amazing opportunity, Marie accepted her first equity role in a business.

Two years later, her partner at the time was offered a plum role in Singapore and Marie followed.  Not knowing a soul there, she keenly attended networking events organised for expatriates.  Within three months, Marie had been offered a role as head of marketing for a magic circle law firm….. a great opportunity.

Just four years later, Marie had achieved her ultimate career ambition of heading up the marketing function in a global organisation with a turnover exceeding $500m. She had moved to Hong Kong to head up the entire Asian Business Development & Marketing department with a team of support staff for the world’s largest legal services organisation with US$1 billion revenues.  You would think that such a person would continuously climb the ranks and sit at the very top of any organisation she chose. But it’s not the case with Marie, at a relatively young age she realised that she had achieved all that she wanted to achieve. In my life, I have met many driven and successful people but let me tell you, I’ve never met anyone that has the ability to be content with what they have and stop themselves from being consumed by their profession.

Back in Hong Kong and sometime in her late 30s, Marie had ticked all the goals on her list and thought what now? The boxes were all ticked but her goals had all been very quantitative and selfish.  In the process, she had made good money but she had made lots of money for other people too.  There had to be something she could do to feel useful, something a bit more qualitative.  Having been so unwell, she decided that it was time to call it quits. She had to get her health in order, and find something more meaningful to do. Despite all her commercial successes, she chose to walk away from it and do something completely different. She chose a line of profession that enables her to give back to the community. I remember asking her why she would do such a thing knowing full well that she could become so much more successful in the business world. She smiled and told me that one day she realised that she had always shifted her goal post for no apparent reason. Just one more project, one more promotion, and so on. She promptly recognised this and left it all behind.

She is currently working for Cystic Fibrosis WA as the marketing coordinator. Cystic Fibrosis WA (http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.au/wa/wa-welcome/) is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to help people with Cystic Fibrosis to lead a normal life. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common life threatening recessive genetic disease conditions for which there is no known cure.  It mainly affects the lungs and digestive system.  There is a 1 in 25 chance (that’s a staggering one million people in Australia) of carrying the gene which most people are not aware of until they meet another carrier and have a child with CF.  Although huge strides have been made to increase the life expectancy for people with CF; sadly this illness still takes too many lives, far too early.  Recognising the lack of support for people with this condition, she dedicates her skills and knowledge to create a better tomorrow for those who are less fortunate. Thus end the story and while to other people she may just be another woman, to me, she is a mentor, confidant and above all, my Hero.

Contributor: Vincentius Try Perdana (Melbourne)

Hero #6 - The Heroes of 2010

2011 - The end of 2010. The beginning of a new era. Feels apt to be reflecting on the year that has been rather monumental.

2010 marked the beginning of many Firsts - 

- First time at the Full Moon Party

- First time snorkelling

- First time visiting the families of Carpets for Communities

- First sunrise (in Angkor Wat)

- First medication class

- First house break-in

- First CNY in Australia with new-found family 

- First official 5km run

- First family gathering in America

- First hangout in New York

- First time organising a Short Film Festival

- First Community of Like Minded Ppl meeting 

- First all girls roadtrip 

- First time doing the Landmark Advanced Course 

- First time passing all 5 exams of my Chartered Accountant program

- First time running a Fair Trade uni stall with Blessed Life Nepal

- First time meeting the guys from Gone Cyclin'

- First Trampoline, First Pecha Kucha

- First Heroes blog

- First wedding in the family

It's very easy sometimes, that you race through life, ticking the boxes and forgot the people in it. The tuk tuk driver who gets your money back when he sees his fellow countrymen taking advantage of tourists, the owner of a cafe that promotes vegetarian food and community development initiatives who teaches you meditation, the boss that gets you up and running nearly everyday (literally), the friend who constantly works towards a bigger dream and never gives up and pulls you along with their energy, the people with the great ideas who pull it apart into the simple steps that make it happen, the postman who blows you kisses everyday, the taxi drivers who are racing home to have dinner with their family, the bus drivers who said the bus is just for you when it's empty, the parents who never stop believing in you even though they might not necessarily agree with what you do...

HERO is a big word. One which not many people associate themselves with. One which people tend to shy away from. Official definition of Hero is a man/woman of courage, nobility and strength. To me, a HERO is a person who makes the most of his/her day, who performs each tasks & duties with the sincerest of hearts, who puts a smile on other's faces through whatever means & circumstances, who remembers and cares for others; friends, families & strangers.. It usually takes an unusual situation to bring out the Hero in us, but sometimes if we look, there are Heroes all around us! 

Here's to the many many more heroes I'll meet and be sharing with all of you in 2011 who will continue to touch, move & inspire me! 

I leave you with a collage of the things that signify my childhood, things that may be left in a corner, untouched, unmoved, but certainly unforgotten..

A month and a little bit..

It's been 1 month since the launch of Our Daily Heroes :) And so far it has been really exciting for me to both receive and share the amazing stories of the heroes around the world who have impacted my friends! 


We'll be on a break for a few weeks to look for more unexpected Heroes and will be back in early January! Til then kick back, relax and enjoy the days of vacation bliss :)