A successful talent search is always a heart warming story. When someone who is good at something but probably never thought his/her talent would ever get past their school or village. Then they get discovered and the whole world seems to open step by step. We have seen this among models, musicians, actors, actresses and people young and old in all spheres of life. We have probably learnt the lesson never to give up on our strengths and for believers, there is always the belief that God’s timing is the best.
Take a person like Ajuma Nasenyana for example, a high flying Kenyan model from Lodwar who alongside the likes of Alek Wek from South Sudan got discovered from seemingly nondescript gigs and went ahead to redefine beauty to the world with their dark beautiful skin and natural hair. It is not too far fetched to claim that the likes of these two have influenced to some extent manufacturers of hair and skincare products to get skew towards our needs as has been the case over the last few years. The success of these two among others cannot be underestimated in shaping the minds of young girls and maybe boys who may have been in doubts of their strengths over the years.
Chapa Dimba
When Chapa Dimba started, I must admit I was a bit distant from the whole football thing. I did look at it from a distance alright and noted the progress and the tournaments in passing simply because I’m in the media space. I knew there was a method to and it was more serious than just some boys and girls playing football but I was not exactly at the edge of my seat about it. You get what I mean.
Until the story came of one Ben Robert Ogot for example, a young gifted striker from Kakamega who was recently signed up for a 2 year deal by Kenyan Premier League Club Vihiga Uited FC. For many of us, the story may end there, but for Ben who is fondly known as Bensouda, his coaches and a lot of other people in the football fraternity, this is the power of opportunity that I believe can catapult not just one person, but a whole bunch of peers and communities to heights they would only have dreamed of. Indeed Ben’s dream has always been to one day play for a club in the Kenya Premier league and look at him now! Already he has played with Bandari FC in Mombasa under Vihiga United Club and all I see from here for his is a continuously shining star.
Chapa Dimba is a football initiative by Safaricom that aims to scout for and give opportunities to young talent between 16 and 20 years. Other than opportunities like what Ben Robert Ogot got, the initiative also gave a chance for participants to win prize money, therefore earning something from their passion.
Twaweza
I see Chapa Dimba running right alongside the company’s philosophy ‘Twaweza’ whose aim is to grow communities in different ways as it grows. For the gem that is Ben who is a prolific striker and an asset to his club and to the country for example, there is no reason why he will not be able to grow his talent further, fill the shoes of the likes of Dennis Oliech, play in international leagues and bring on positive ripple effects in his community and in the country that cannot even be measured.
This is the spirit that warms my heart to no end and this is what I call the power of opportunity. Quite removed from football, I have looked at the power of opportunity in other stories, one of the most touching of them being this one here.
