VINCENT Kituku
“Poverty and the Emptiness in Children’s Eyes Were My Burning Bush …”
When he boarded Delta Flight 7604, departQuestion: That must have been tough ing from Boise Airport on the morning of for you after living in the US for more January 16, 2010, Dr. Vincent Muli Kituku, than two decades, knowing here high author, columnist, and renowned motivational school is free. speaker, had no idea that this trip to Kenya, his Vincent: It was more than tough. Before that native country, would transform his life forever. visit I knew nothing about depression, feelVincent left his homeland in 1986 to pursue ing empty, wondering why I was alive and if graduate studies at the University of Wyoming there was a God. And, if there was, why would – where he claims he got his accent. God let those children suffer like that? I was After completing his studies, Dr. Kituku was low, alone and questioned my faith in God. employed by Idaho Power as a Riparian EcoloLittle did I know that the poverty and emptigist in 1992. In the fall of that year, he joined ness I had seen in the place where I grew up Toastmasters, an organization that helps memwith hope was the “Burning Bush” that would bers improve public speaking skills, and immechange my life forever. diately found what he thought was his calling Question: What happened for you to – motivating people to live up to their potential Vincent Kituku overcome that emptiness? using their talents, gifts and experiences. With Vincent: About two months after I came his knack for storytelling, ability to customize his presentations home from Kenya I was driving in Boise and praying for based on research about each work environment, and natural something – anything – I didn’t know what to think. On a skill of captivating audiences, Vincent Kituku soon became a whim, I stopped at a bank and asked if I could open an acsought-after speaker in America. count to raise money to pay high school and university tuition Kituku left corporate America in 1997 to devote his energy, for the children I had seen in Kenya. I asked friends to help creativity and focus to building a thriving motivational speakme establish a non-profit organization. We called it Caring ing business. In 2004, he earned the National Speakers AssoHearts and Hands of Hope. The problem was, I had never ciation Certified Speaking Professional award (CSP) within five before asked more than ten people to donate for anything, years. CSP is the highest award given to members with outalthough I was always happy to write about the needs of the standing records in the speaking profession. At that time, fewer Women and Children’s Alliance or the Boise Rescue Mission, than 750 people worldwide had earned that recognition. where I had served as a board member, and appeal for donaAs a speaker, Dr. Kituku delivered hundreds of presentations tions to those organizations. So, I thought, maybe I can write to organizations such as Hewlett-Packard, the United States and let people know what is going on with the children in my Air Force, Microsoft, Raytheon, many universities and colbirthplace. leges and almost all Idaho K-12 schools. He also served as the Question: Were there challenges in starting the motivational speaker for the successful Boise State University non-profit organization? football team from 1998 until 2018, when his involvement in Vincent: Time and space limit what I can say, but suffice Kenya demanded more time. it to say when you have been reduced to emptiness, you can Dr. Kituku returned to Kenya for the first time after living do anything. What worked for me were all the connections in America for 24 years. We sat down with him to learn how I already had made with the amazing people of this Treathe inadequacies he found in his community became what he sure Valley. A veteran lawyer, who had helped my wife and describes as his “Burning Bush.” me with our Born to Succeed Child Care Center, offered to Question: Vincent, can you please share how that assist me on a pro-bono basis. Another friend provided (and first trip affected you? still does) website development and maintenance on the same Vincent: I left Kenya when AIDS/HIV complications were basis. Others assisted with their talents and skills to get the just being talked about and I didn’t know anyone affected. organization off the ground. Corruption in the country was also not in each and every But there were also diminishing speaking opportunities due segment of public services, as it is now. Even the poorest of to the 2008-2010 Great Recession. What happened in early the poor were able to educate their high school students in my July of 2010 became the biblical cloud the size of a man’s youth. It was devastating to visit my elementary school where, hand. A friend and his colleague called me to their office and in the 1970s, there were only two orphaned children that I said, “Vincent, we know you are trying to help the children of recall, and find more than 300 children who had lost one or Kenya and at the same time feed your family. We want to give both parents due to AIDS/HIV complications. Many couldn’t you some money so that you can take care of your family for afford to enter high school – largely because of corrupt public the next few months and focus on establishing the organizaofficials. tion to help children in Kenya.” That afternoon I asked my It was also on that trip where I read of a mother of six who Kenyan contacts to find as many vulnerable students as they took her own life because she wasn’t able to pay the tuition her could. God had used those two friends to let me know that daughter needed to attend high school, a cost of about $500/ what I was doing was His mission. Continued on page 29 year that covered room and board, books and other expenses.
26 March / April 2022 | Christian Living
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