Mark Omollo was forced to drop out of school after his mother disappeared on him without any reason. He shares how he beat the odds to become an entrepreneur and gospel artist.
How can you describe yourself?
I am 24 years old, a gospel minister, philanthropist and businessman based in Nairobi. I was born in Meru but grew up in Kisumu, Eldoret and later Nairobi.
Why was your relationship with your mother and stepfather frosty?
Yes, at first it was frosty due to the things she did to me. However, we have mended fences and I can say we are now best friends
Tell us what caused the friction.
You see, my mother bore me while she was still in high school. Despite this, my grandparents allowed her to return to school and even took her to college while they took care of me. After college, she got a job at a private school and was later employed by TSC and posted to Meru. Now that she had a decent job, my grandparents asked her to take me in and she obliged. She enrolled me in a school near her workplace. I was in Form 1.
What happened next?
When I got to Form Two, she met someone, a doctor, and they eventually got married. The doctor was a single father having separated from his wife. He lived and worked in Eldoret. My mother used to go to Eldoret only when schools closed. Then one day, something happened which made me think I was in dreamland.
I was sent home for school fees. When I arrived, I saw new curtains but it did not ring a bell immediately. I knocked at the door and that’s when I realised the house had new occupants. When I visited her school, I learnt she had requested a transfer, but to where nobody seemed to know.
I went to my grandparents but they too did not know her whereabouts. We tried looking for her everywhere to no avail. We even contacted my stepfather but he too claimed he did not know her whereabouts.
Does it mean that you discontinued your education?
Of course. There was no one to pay my fees. I left home for Nairobi. When I came to the city, I didn’t know anybody so I used to sleep in hotels and bus stations. However, it didn’t take long before I got a Good Samaritan who offered to house me for a while.
How did your turnaround come about?
I did some hustles like babysitting for a neighbour and started saving the little money I made. Later on, I went to Gikomba picked some clothes and started selling. The business picked and I was able to increase stock gradually. Currently, I deal in bales and I have even employed people.
Besides, I am a gospel artiste and my music is doing well.
How did you eventually reunite with your mother?
When she heard of my success she came looking for me and asked for forgiveness. Being born again, I forgave her.
Courtesy: The Nairobian
