When 22-year-old Bright Atieno Mbeda, shared a video clip online narrating how much she wanted to become a DJ, she didn't know how soon ...
When 22-year-old Bright Atieno Mbeda, shared a video clip online narrating how much she wanted to become a DJ, she didn't know how soon that dream would become a reality.
The single mother, who grew up in Nairobi's Sinai slum, has now on the way to living that dream after graduating from Bling Deejaying School, thanks to Grandpa Records founder and CEO Noah Yusuf aka Refigah.
According to Refigah, who is vying for Kibra parliamentary seat, Ms Atieno recorded herself highlighting her plight while seeking assistance in the clip that was shared online by blogger Robert Alai.
“I was touched by her story asked Alai to help me get in touch with her, which he did. At the time her story was brought to me I had no intention of seeking public office but because I'm passionate about transforming lives, I felt compelled to act,” Refigah told
Nairobi News.
According to Refigah, until Monday when he met Ms Atieno for the first time after she graduated, they had previously only been interacting online.
“I quickly gathered that she was not keen on handouts and was, instead, determined to be empowered. Her passion in deejaying was palpable, her role model being Kenya's finest female deejay Pierre Makena,” Refigah said.
The two met for the first time for lunch at Tamambo, Karen where Ms Atieno said she hopes to land a job in any local radio station.
The veteran artiste, who will be vying for the Kibra seat on a DAP-K ticket, said as an emerging leader, he was sharing the story to motivate fellow leaders that transforming lives should not be collateral or consideration for seeking office.
Rafigah, who runs a foundation called Simama na Kibra which feeds destitute families and helps widows to start small-scale businesses, will be competing against, among others, Imran Okoth, the incumbent MP who lost his bid to defend the seat on an ODM ticket,
The constituency has five wards – Sarang’ombe, with the highest number of registered voters at 30,754, Woodley/Kenyatta Golf Course (28,066), Makina (25,695), Laini Saba (17,455) while Lindi has 16,688.
