9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
When you have a job that pays you enough[br]to cover your basic needs,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
your bills, and even some more to spend,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
the assumption is that you'd be happy,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
or, even better, fulfilled.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And it seems unthinkable[br]when you wake up and say

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
you're going to leave a job like that[br]to pursue a passion.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And that was my dilemma six years ago.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I had a comfortable job,[br]I lived a comfortable life,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and people expected me to be fulfilled,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but I wasn't.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
There was something[br]in me that wanted more.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
There was a misalignment between[br]the things I did on a daily basis

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and the things that I deeply cared about.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And so I decided to quit

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and explore the possibility of bringing[br]this passion into my daily routine.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And the think about finding your passion

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is that it's not straightforward.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Even for people and money and degrees,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
they still struggle[br]to identify their passion.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And here I was as a 30-year old[br]talking about finding my passion

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and turning it into a career.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Literally, people told me,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
"You don't talk about passion[br]until you've made enough money."

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Laughter)

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
"Or at least until[br]you're ready to retire."

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Because, there's a notion[br]that looking inward

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and finding the things that give us[br]pleasure and fulfillment

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is a luxury that only the rich can enjoy,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
or a pleasure that only[br]the retired can indulge in.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Which made me wonder:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is passion only for the rich

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
or an experience only[br]the retired can enjoy?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
For many of us, we've been led to believe

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that life is a race for survival.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We've been conditioned to see ourselves[br]as survivors that must do everything

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in our power to survive.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In Africa, we had to go[br]through school, cram and pass,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in the hope that you get a job after,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and if you do, stick at it[br]no matter how much it sucks.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Laughter)

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Until you get a better offer[br]or you're asked to retire.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And as a dropout,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I knew that I was not[br]entitled to anything.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Every opportunity was a privilege.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And so when I thought about quitting,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
it was a huge risk.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I was given two alternatives,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
which are the most popular in Africa.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The first one is sign up for any course[br]at a vocational institution and do it.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
My second option, settle[br]for any job offer you can get,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
no matter the working conditions,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and do it.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
That probably explains why we have[br]so many of our young people

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
being trafficked in search[br]of greener pastures.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I opted for the first option.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I did look at a couple[br]vocational institutions

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in the hope that I would find a course[br]that resonated with my persona,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
my dream, and my aspiration.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I was disappointed to learn that there[br]was no room for misfits like me

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in these institutions.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The education system[br]in many parts of the world

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
has been designed[br]around pre-selected options

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that young people are expected[br]to fit in or risk becoming misfits.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And so going through school[br]I was nurtured and conditioned

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to think in the straight line[br]and stay within the straight line.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But when I dropped out, I discovered[br]a world of possibilities.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I knew I could be anything,[br]I could study anything,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
so I leveraged free online courses.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
That's how I built my CV,[br]got into employment,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and worked for eight years.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And after eight years,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I told myself there must be more to life

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
than just going through[br]the routines of life.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
So in 2014 I started an organization called Kyusa