My name is Peter Muthama, and I grew up in Kithimani Village, Machakos County, where dust is part of life and dreams are often laughed at before they even take shape. I was raised by my mother after my father died young, and from an early age, I learned what it meant to struggle. We survived on casual jobs, selling charcoal and doing kibarua on other people’s farms. While others planned their futures, I planned my next meal.
The man who sneered at me was called Victor. He was my childhood friend, my classmate, and later, my loudest critic. Victor’s family was well-off by village standards. They had land, cattle, and relatives in town. Whenever I talked about becoming successful one day, he would laugh and say, “You think money can buy happiness? Look at you first.” People would laugh with him, and I would laugh too—on the outside. Inside, something hardened.…CONTINUE READING
