My father let me spread my wings to reach my dreams

Kimathi Kaumbutho with his dad. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • I became a professional athlete, graduated with honours from university and I travelled the world. And that ‘why’ was my father.
  • My father could have bought me the world and every material thing in it, but all the ‘things’ he could give me, will never surmount to the seed of faith he planted in me that day I left home.

The year was 2009, and I was standing in the security checkpoint line at London Heathrow Airport. My flight to the United states was leaving in 2 hours. I was 15 years old and with courage enough to hide my fear, I turned to wave at my family. It would be one whole year until I would see them again. 

Truthfully, I was terrified. I was travelling to the United States alone. I was barely a teenager, leaving my family behind to chase a dream.

Every part of me wanted to run back to them; “I don’t want to do this… I made a mistake… let’s just go back home…” I wanted to say. But somehow I balanced the tears in my eyes and boarded the plane to America.

Eight years later, I can say that I have realized my dreams. I became a professional athlete, graduated with honors from university and I travelled the world through sports. Looking back, it all seems a little unreal. And though, I don’t know how I got past some of the obstacles I faced, I do know why.

And that ‘why’ was my father.

There are very few parents in the world who’d be willing to let their son leave home at 15—let alone travel internationally and live away from home for several years. I’ll never know how my father built up the courage, faith and trust to let me go. But I do know that his trust was the greatest gift he could ever give me.

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My father could have bought me the world and every material thing in it, but all the ‘things’ he could give me, will never surmount to the seed of faith he planted in me that day I left home. To this day, my father will never need to prove the trust and belief he has in me. I know that no matter what circumstance I’m in, he will always have faith, even when I have no faith in myself. 

The other day, I was privileged enough to be selected for the preliminary Slam Africa competition—one of Kenya’s—and Africa’s—biggest poetry slam competitions. When I told my father about the event, he made it a priority to be there.

After I had won the competition, he told me that I had moved him to tears. Until then, I had never seen my dad cry, let alone any other African man. But on that day, my father’s tears taught me something that I believe every father should emulate.

I know of many friends with unconventional talents. The type that parents would immediately dismiss, saying “you can’t make money doing that in this country…”.

In Kenya, there are so many kids with dreams that could be considered ‘strange’ or, worse, ‘impossible’ by our traditional culture. It thus becomes a parents’ responsibility to show compassion in nurturing these dreams in their children. 

Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. There are many dreams that die in Nairobi, not because they are impossible, but only because we have been taught to believe them so. To have a father, who continually inspires a child to chase their dreams no matter how impossible or unconventional their dreams may seem, is worth more than anything. This is what my father has taught me and what I hope to teach my children one day.

I may make a lot of money, live in the biggest house and send my kids to the best schools, but if I have not taught them how to dream by my own example, I will have failed them.

Today, I write this to give a tribute not only to my father, but to all the fathers who are ‘Man Enough’ to give their kids what is intangible. The fathers with compassion and empathy enough to support their children to chase their dreams. Father’s Day belongs to all of you. You are the men that will change this country, for you have left a legacy that we will pay forward to the next generation. 

To my father, I love you Papa, more than these words can say. And to the rest of the fathers that make this day special. Happy Father’s Day.