0:00:00.792,0:00:03.976
When you have a job that pays you enough[br]to cover your basic needs,

0:00:04.000,0:00:06.684
your bills, and even some more to spend,

0:00:06.708,0:00:08.726
the assumption is that you'd be happy,

0:00:08.750,0:00:10.625
or, even better, fulfilled.

0:00:11.542,0:00:13.893
And it seems unthinkable[br]when you wake up and say

0:00:13.917,0:00:16.708
you're going to leave a job like that[br]to pursue a passion.

0:00:17.708,0:00:20.000
And that was my dilemma six years ago.

0:00:21.000,0:00:24.434
I had a comfortable job,[br]I lived a comfortable life,

0:00:24.458,0:00:27.184
and people expected me to be fulfilled,

0:00:27.208,0:00:28.809
but I wasn't.

0:00:28.833,0:00:31.643
There was something[br]in me that wanted more.

0:00:31.667,0:00:35.268
There was a misalignment[br]between the things I did on a daily basis

0:00:35.292,0:00:37.583
and the things that I deeply cared about.

0:00:39.000,0:00:40.684
And so I decided to quit

0:00:40.708,0:00:44.708
and explore the possibility of bringing[br]this passion into my daily routine.

0:00:46.458,0:00:48.643
And the thing about finding your passion

0:00:48.667,0:00:50.643
is that it's not straightforward.

0:00:50.667,0:00:52.601
Even for people with money and degrees,

0:00:52.625,0:00:55.333
they still struggle[br]to identify their passion.

0:00:56.208,0:00:59.143
And here I was as a 30-year-old,

0:00:59.167,0:01:01.268
talking about finding my passion

0:01:01.292,0:01:02.958
and turning it into a career.

0:01:03.958,0:01:05.268
Literally, people told me,

0:01:05.292,0:01:08.559
"You don't talk about passion[br]until you've made enough money."

0:01:08.583,0:01:10.351
(Laughter)

0:01:10.375,0:01:12.708
"Or at least until[br]you're ready to retire."

0:01:14.292,0:01:16.393
Because there's a notion[br]that looking inward

0:01:16.417,0:01:19.768
and finding the things that give us[br]pleasure and fulfillment

0:01:19.792,0:01:23.184
is a luxury that only the rich can enjoy,

0:01:23.208,0:01:27.125
or a pleasure that only[br]the retired can indulge in.

0:01:27.792,0:01:29.476
Which made me wonder:

0:01:29.500,0:01:31.500
is passion only for the rich

0:01:32.250,0:01:35.292
or an experience[br]only the retired can enjoy?

0:01:35.917,0:01:39.184
For many of us, we've been led to believe

0:01:39.208,0:01:41.375
that life is a race for survival.

0:01:41.875,0:01:44.726
We've been conditioned[br]to see ourselves as survivors

0:01:44.750,0:01:48.000
that must do everything[br]in our power to survive.

0:01:48.500,0:01:53.059
In Africa, we had to go[br]through school, cram and pass,

0:01:53.083,0:01:55.351
in the hope that you get a job after.

0:01:55.375,0:01:59.268
And if you do, stick at it[br]no matter how much it sucks.

0:01:59.292,0:02:00.684
(Laughter)

0:02:00.708,0:02:03.708
Until you get a better offer[br]or you're asked to retire.

0:02:06.208,0:02:07.601
And as a dropout,

0:02:07.625,0:02:10.434
I knew that I was[br]not entitled to anything.

0:02:10.458,0:02:12.875
Every opportunity was a privilege.

0:02:14.292,0:02:16.768
And so when I thought about quitting,

0:02:16.792,0:02:18.042
it was a huge risk.

0:02:19.000,0:02:21.101
I was given two alternatives,

0:02:21.125,0:02:23.018
which are the most popular in Africa.

0:02:23.042,0:02:27.500
The first one is sign up for any course[br]at a vocational institution and do it.

0:02:28.500,0:02:32.351
My second option,[br]settle for any job offer you can get,

0:02:32.375,0:02:34.559
no matter the working conditions,

0:02:34.583,0:02:36.018
and do it.

0:02:36.042,0:02:39.018
That probably explains why we have[br]so many of our young people

0:02:39.042,0:02:41.583
being trafficked[br]in search of greener pastures.

0:02:42.667,0:02:44.684
I opted for the first option.

0:02:44.708,0:02:47.268
I did look at a couple[br]vocational institutions

0:02:47.292,0:02:50.851
in the hope that I would find a course[br]that resonated with my persona,

0:02:50.875,0:02:53.208
my dream and my aspiration.

0:02:53.958,0:02:57.976
I was disappointed to learn that there[br]was no room for misfits like me

0:02:58.000,0:02:59.292
in these institutions.

0:03:00.250,0:03:02.476
The education system[br]in many parts of the world

0:03:02.500,0:03:05.184
has been designed[br]around preselected options

0:03:05.208,0:03:09.726
that young people are expected[br]to fit in or risk becoming misfits.

0:03:09.750,0:03:12.851
And so going through school[br]I was nurtured and conditioned

0:03:12.875,0:03:16.250
to think in the straight line[br]and stay within the straight line.

0:03:17.042,0:03:20.226
But when I dropped out,[br]I discovered a world of possibilities.

0:03:20.250,0:03:22.958
I knew I could be anything,[br]I could study anything,

0:03:23.708,0:03:25.976
and so I leveraged free online courses.

0:03:26.000,0:03:29.101
That's how I built my CV,[br]got into employment,

0:03:29.125,0:03:31.059
and worked for eight years.

0:03:31.083,0:03:32.559
And after eight years,

0:03:32.583,0:03:35.059
I told myself there must be more to life

0:03:35.083,0:03:37.768
than just going through[br]the routines of life.

0:03:37.792,0:03:41.684
So in 2014 I started[br]an organization called Kyusa

0:03:41.708,0:03:43.809
where we are working[br]with other school youth

0:03:43.833,0:03:46.018
and empowering them to turn their passions

0:03:46.042,0:03:49.934
into profitable, scalable[br]and sustainable businesses.

0:03:49.958,0:03:51.684
Now, when we talk about passion,

0:03:51.708,0:03:55.976
one of the most common questions[br]that people ask is, "What is passion?

0:03:56.000,0:03:58.143
How do I even find it?"

0:03:58.167,0:04:00.184
And in the simplest definition,

0:04:00.208,0:04:02.684
passion is a collection[br]of your life experiences

0:04:02.708,0:04:05.583
that give you the deepest[br]sense of fulfillment.

0:04:06.500,0:04:09.292
And to identify your passion,[br]you need to look inward.

0:04:10.292,0:04:12.458
So we use two reflective questions.

0:04:13.333,0:04:15.393
The first question we ask is,

0:04:15.417,0:04:18.143
if you had all the time[br]and the money in the world,

0:04:18.167,0:04:20.559
what would you spend your time doing?

0:04:20.583,0:04:22.643
It sounds like a very simple question,

0:04:22.667,0:04:25.184
but many people struggle[br]to answer this question

0:04:25.208,0:04:27.976
because they've just[br]never thought about it.

0:04:28.000,0:04:30.059
The second question we ask

0:04:30.083,0:04:32.018
is what makes you happy

0:04:32.042,0:04:35.018
or gives you the deepest[br]sense of fulfillment?

0:04:35.042,0:04:37.893
Now, you would assume that we all[br]know what makes us happy,

0:04:37.917,0:04:41.268
but it's also interesting to note[br]that so many people have no idea

0:04:41.292,0:04:42.667
what makes them happy,

0:04:44.208,0:04:47.101
because they are so busy[br]going through the routines of life,

0:04:47.125,0:04:49.292
they've never stopped to look inward.

0:04:50.458,0:04:53.809
And so identifying the things[br]that give us a deep sense of fulfillment

0:04:53.833,0:04:55.684
and the things that give us deep joy

0:04:55.708,0:04:59.000
are thoughts that begin to direct us[br]in the direction of our passion.

0:04:59.833,0:05:01.476
And just in case you're wondering

0:05:01.500,0:05:03.684
what your answers are[br]to those two questions,

0:05:03.708,0:05:07.137
I invite you to sit with these questions[br]later and just reflect about it.

0:05:08.667,0:05:10.268
However, I am also aware

0:05:10.292,0:05:13.833
that passion alone[br]cannot guarantee success in life.

0:05:14.708,0:05:15.976
And I should note

0:05:16.000,0:05:18.708
that not every passion[br]can become a career.

0:05:19.833,0:05:22.059
For passion to become a career,

0:05:22.083,0:05:26.958
it must be coupled with the right set[br]of skills, conditioning and positioning.

0:05:27.917,0:05:30.434
So when we get our young people[br]to look inward,

0:05:30.458,0:05:33.101
we also ask them what skills do you have,

0:05:33.125,0:05:35.976
what talents do you have,[br]what experience do you have

0:05:36.000,0:05:39.417
that you can use to build[br]a niche in the marketplace.

0:05:40.208,0:05:42.851
But more than that,[br]we also look at the market trends,

0:05:42.875,0:05:45.559
because it doesn't matter[br]how much you love and enjoy it.

0:05:45.583,0:05:48.684
If nobody wants it[br]or is willing to pay for it,

0:05:48.708,0:05:50.434
it can't be a career.

0:05:50.458,0:05:51.708
It's just a hobby.

0:05:53.625,0:05:57.976
And the third thing we look at[br]is how do you position yourself?

0:05:58.000,0:06:00.393
Who are you targeting?[br]Who do you want to sell to?

0:06:00.417,0:06:02.809
Why would they want to buy from you?

0:06:02.833,0:06:06.101
And so the combination of the three[br]is what enables you to move

0:06:06.125,0:06:08.833
from just a passion to a business.

0:06:09.500,0:06:12.518
And many of our young people[br]have been able to turn their ideas

0:06:12.542,0:06:15.393
and burning desires[br]into profitable businesses

0:06:15.417,0:06:17.059
or social enterprises,

0:06:17.083,0:06:19.101
and they're not just creating jobs,

0:06:19.125,0:06:21.458
but they are solving societal challenges.

0:06:22.583,0:06:24.768
I'll share with you two examples.

0:06:24.792,0:06:26.684
One of them is Esther.

0:06:26.708,0:06:28.684
I met Esther two years ago.

0:06:28.708,0:06:30.667
She had been out of school for two years

0:06:31.250,0:06:34.309
and she had been deeply affected[br]by her dropping out.

0:06:34.333,0:06:37.143
As a result, she had experienced[br]severe depression

0:06:37.167,0:06:40.417
to a point where she attempted[br]to take her own life several times.

0:06:41.250,0:06:43.976
Her friends and family[br]didn't know what to do for her.

0:06:44.000,0:06:45.375
They simply prayed for her.

0:06:46.583,0:06:49.143
When I met Esther[br]and I started to converse with her,

0:06:49.167,0:06:50.934
I asked her a simple question.

0:06:50.958,0:06:53.768
I said, "If you had all the time[br]and the money in the world,

0:06:53.792,0:06:55.083
what would you do?"

0:06:55.917,0:06:58.059
Without thinking or hesitation,

0:06:58.083,0:07:00.059
her eyes lit up and she began to tell me

0:07:00.083,0:07:02.559
how she wanted to change[br]the lives of young people.

0:07:02.583,0:07:05.434
She wanted to restore[br]hope and dignity to other teenagers

0:07:05.458,0:07:08.708
by helping them make[br]informed decisions about life.

0:07:10.750,0:07:13.893
I was certain of the fact[br]that this burning desire in her

0:07:13.917,0:07:15.476
was unquenchable.

0:07:15.500,0:07:19.434
And so we worked with Esther[br]to put a framework around this desire.

0:07:19.458,0:07:22.018
Today, she runs a social[br]enterprise in her village,

0:07:22.042,0:07:27.476
raising awareness about substance abuse,[br]mental health, sexual reproductive health,

0:07:27.500,0:07:30.726
and is helping other school dropouts[br]acquire vocational skills

0:07:30.750,0:07:32.750
so they can make a living for themselves.

0:07:33.958,0:07:35.667
Esther turned 20 this year,

0:07:37.542,0:07:41.643
and for the last two years,[br]she has organized and annual teen fest

0:07:41.667,0:07:45.167
that brings together over 500 teenagers.

0:07:45.750,0:07:49.125
(Applause)

0:07:50.958,0:07:53.726
Young people that are able[br]to network and collaborate

0:07:53.750,0:07:55.059
on different projects,

0:07:55.083,0:07:59.000
but more importantly to meet professionals[br]they would otherwise never have met.

0:08:00.250,0:08:04.059
This is all engineered by a girl that[br]believed the world had no room for her,

0:08:04.083,0:08:07.768
that without education[br]she would never amount to anything.

0:08:07.792,0:08:11.101
But by looking inward[br]and tapping into a burning desire,

0:08:11.125,0:08:12.851
putting structure around it,

0:08:12.875,0:08:16.143
it has become a model[br]that not only changed her life

0:08:16.167,0:08:19.917
but is transforming the lives[br]of hundreds of young people every year.

0:08:21.250,0:08:23.184
My other example is Moussa.

0:08:23.208,0:08:25.226
Moussa is a natural artistic guy.

0:08:25.250,0:08:28.708
He's the kind that would look[br]at any design and replicate it with ease.

0:08:29.417,0:08:32.167
And so he seeks to recognize[br]that ability in him.

0:08:32.875,0:08:35.559
When I met Moussa,[br]he was doing all kinds of crafts --

0:08:35.583,0:08:37.393
bags, belts, wallets --

0:08:37.417,0:08:39.934
but it was more of a part-time thing.

0:08:39.958,0:08:43.226
Or sometimes, if he was really broke[br]and needed to make quick money,

0:08:43.250,0:08:45.643
then he would come up[br]with a design and sell it.

0:08:45.667,0:08:48.208
But he had never thought[br]of it as a business.

0:08:49.000,0:08:50.559
We started working with Moussa,

0:08:50.583,0:08:54.393
helping him shift his mindset[br]from a hobby to a business,

0:08:54.417,0:08:58.143
and beginning to rethink how can he[br]make products that he could sell

0:08:58.167,0:08:59.667
and even be able to scale?

0:09:00.625,0:09:04.101
Moussa makes some of[br]the most amazing bags I've ever seen,

0:09:04.125,0:09:07.184
and over the last one year[br]Moussa's business has grown.

0:09:07.208,0:09:09.351
He has been recognized[br]in different places.

0:09:09.375,0:09:12.375
Currently, he's talking about[br]exporting to developed countries.

0:09:13.583,0:09:15.184
Moussa, like any other dropout,

0:09:15.208,0:09:17.393
believed that without[br]academic credentials,

0:09:17.417,0:09:19.851
he wouldn't amount to anything.

0:09:19.875,0:09:22.226
He thought the talent he had was nothing

0:09:22.250,0:09:26.208
simply because it did not have[br]an academic paper to define it.

0:09:27.333,0:09:31.518
But by looking inward and finding[br]that what he had was the greatest asset

0:09:31.542,0:09:33.768
and supporting him[br]to turn it into a business,

0:09:33.792,0:09:36.000
he's not just living, he's thriving.

0:09:37.208,0:09:41.476
The thing about looking inward[br]is that it can be scary,

0:09:41.500,0:09:44.226
especially if you're doing it[br]for the first time.

0:09:44.250,0:09:47.351
But the truth is[br]you never truly start living

0:09:47.375,0:09:50.333
until you learn to live[br]from the inside out.

0:09:51.583,0:09:55.518
And in unlocking potential,[br]we need to look inward to identify

0:09:55.542,0:09:58.309
the things that give us[br]a deep sense of fulfillment,

0:09:58.333,0:10:00.601
the things that give us the deepest joy,

0:10:00.625,0:10:04.351
and then weave them[br]into the patterns of our daily routines.

0:10:04.375,0:10:08.250
In so doing, we cease to work[br]and we start to live,

0:10:09.167,0:10:13.643
and the thing about living is that[br]you never have to retire or to resign.

0:10:13.667,0:10:16.018
(Laughter)

0:10:16.042,0:10:21.101
(Applause)

0:10:21.125,0:10:24.059
And so as you think about[br]unlocking potential for ourselves,

0:10:24.083,0:10:26.768
for our young people, for our children,

0:10:26.792,0:10:29.268
let's not condition them to look outward

0:10:29.292,0:10:31.309
but condition them to look inward

0:10:31.333,0:10:36.684
to tap into who they are and bring[br]that self into what they do every day.

0:10:36.708,0:10:39.434
When you cease to work and you live,

0:10:39.458,0:10:41.309
when passion becomes a career,

0:10:41.333,0:10:43.143
you don't just excel,

0:10:43.167,0:10:45.042
you become unstoppable.

0:10:45.875,0:10:47.143
Thank you.

0:10:47.167,0:10:50.333
(Applause)