EP13 | Our Rough Start in the Real World | Leonard Mcharo & Emily Mcharo (Founders, Tsavo City) – Transcript

00:00Wow. The seventh quarter was 4K and I had to stay alone. It was very small. So I asked the lady, "Your garage is just a store. Can I use it?" So it was 13, it was 3,500 and it was big enough for us to share with someone else. So I call again say, "Can you stay in the garage?"

00:18And it had fleas. So And the bite. Yeah. Can we forward to the transition from university?

00:39>> Yes. >> Okay. If that's okay. >> Yeah. No, that that's fine. That's fine. So that I think that's how it goes. >> I finish university. We get a house in a place called 87. >> You finish fast. >> I finish fast. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> So we get a house. We struggle. I get a job getting paid 12K.

00:55>> What's your first job? There's a guy used to work for since I was in third year. >> So always work for him. He give me a little money. But this time now the fles and the architecture firm is going down. I had tried a few inter I tried one interview and I failed terribly. I started arguing with the interviewer. I told him the questions you're asking me.

01:13I don't think they make sense. I'm I'm a student. How should I know what you're telling me? See that's why I'm here. So that they told me to go and get four or five of my friends who did well. I brought them. They got the jobs. >> >> For real.

01:28>> I told myself in 15 years [snorts] if there's a high table and a lower table, I'll be on the high table. You'll be on the lower one. If you have to be on the high table, I'll be there with you. >> Did you meet in 15 years?

01:42>> I know he was he was big. So he stay he stayed on top. But I think my company is doing better than your company. I highly suspect >> right now >> many years later, but I suspect. >> And do you finish a year after? Cuz yours is not 6 years. No, I finished just a year after him.

01:57>> A year after him. >> Yeah. So, so we bring Michael, we live in Kino now. So, it's a whole family set up >> with help. >> Kino. >> Yes. >> 57 house is in Kino. >> He's in Kino. Yeah. >> Father jobless. Mother student >> fourth year student >> and son.

02:17>> Okay. >> And it was very hard. >> How old is is the boy at this time when he comes? One month. >> He came he came >> 8 months. Yes. >> 8 months. >> 8 months. Yeah. Yeah. >> Wow. Okay. Now you are in life. >> Now >> now life begins.

02:31>> You're not in love. >> Now life begin. >> Yeah. Now and that was Yeah, that was that was hard. That was hard. Sometimes >> your your hardest time. >> Yeah, that's my hardest time in my life. >> Okay. Tell us talk tell me about it.

02:43>> So some sometimes we didn't have bus fair. >> In fact, hold on. You graduate and do you do I >> I haven't graduated. Oh, you've just I'm in fourth year. Fourth year. Fourth year. I'm in fourth year. So, I need transport to go to school. Uh, sometimes it was there, sometimes it was not. It wasn't, but I was priority. Whatever money we had, if it was enough for me, I would go, he'd stay. Um, sometimes we didn't have how many 300 B 400 B to pay for electricity.

03:07>> Imagine we had a bill of 340 B >> and we'd stay in darkness. So, it was it was difficult. The lady the landlord had cows, which was nice. So, she used to give us milk. So, even if we haven't paid her, he will give us milk. So, at least our son had milk. You have not paid rent.

03:22>> You've been given milk and you've not paid for the milk. >> Yeah. And then my mom sent us grocery. So she sent dangu, she sent beans, she sent victus, she sent jugus. She sent by bus from home. Yeah. So the beginning there was a lot of support from my mom and that lady that lady who used to sell cows. I remember there's one time. Oh no, that was phase one. There's a time I actually had beans and we didn't have maze. And I went to someone who had a

03:46farm and asked give me maze. What >> he gave me? I went and cooked geri. Okay. That was the hardest time of our lives. >> Yeah. But you know there's a time I heard him say nappies not diapers. I was like who uses nappies?

04:00>> Yeah. So for the f for our son our firstborn we did use nappies. We didn't >> could afford diapers. >> Diapers. Yeah. >> Nappies is a cloth gen that you have to keep washing. I know what to tell them. >> You remove you remove the poop and then you wash the nika repeat >> on a repeat on a piece but because there was no diapers during days.

04:21>> Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. >> So that that that was that season but we were trying. We were trying. I was working very hard and first class came and he was also class. >> First class owners. Yes. >> Wow. And you graduated. >> There was no first class in our lot but I was top in studio. Someone else overall was top.

04:39>> Yes. >> Yeah. So I had an upper second. >> Wow. >> Yeah. Yeah. But now from the day I finished university, life became because now there's See, now the university sort of shields you. >> You you you're sleeping on the cheap there. There are no bills. But now I had to move out and get a house. So my first house was um a host a garage in Killesh.

05:03>> A garage. >> I couldn't afford the seven quarter. >> Wow. The seventh quarter was 4K and I had to stay alone cuz it was very small. So I asked the lady, "Your garage is just a store. Can I use it?" So it was 13, it was 3,500 and it was big enough for us to share with someone else. So I call again say, "Can you stay in the garage?" And it had fleas.

05:27So and they bite. Yeah, it was hard life. So was conven I didn't need bus fair. So this is the whole version of Tamakin. You're looking for this tamak.

05:42>> There was no Okay. Internet. No, this is what year? >> This is 2001. >> Yeah. >> Towards the end. Now >> internet is for the elites. Companies are not on internet and things on the internet and things like that. >> My shoes the the soul was here. >> Mhm.

05:57>> And it it had been chopped off. So I walk I think I'm a bit blegged now. You can't tell. But so here there was nothing and there was a hole. When I went for the job interview, I borrowed clothes. I borrowed shoes. I borrowed a shirt. I borrowed pants.

06:11I didn't have clothes that were good enough to go for an interview with. So this time I'm walking around. Remember I already have a son. >> Yeah. >> And I have to walk sometime. I have to go to her room to get food to eat >> and then go sleep with fleas.

06:25>> Then I go and sleep with fleas >> in a garage. >> So since I could get a job, I became a painter. Then one day some American guy came and bought all my paintings. Yeah. Yeah. You're saying you're a painter. He's not painting houses.

06:40>> No, no. I'm an artist. I'm an artist. Yes. I'm a watercolor artist. >> So bought all my paintings. We already moved to Kino. Bought all my paintings. >> Then I bought a computer. >> Like now I'll start an office in the house. And those days you couldn't buy a computer as a whole thing. You bought parts.

06:57>> Yeah. So I have a friend called Pablo. He's drunk like 24/7 but a genius. >> And just went he bought parts. He came home. assembled the computer for me and I started an office in the house >> to design houses for people >> to design houses whoever would bring.

07:12>> Yes. >> But now she had a problem with working from home. >> You remember the story? >> So this time are you together? >> Yeah. >> This is this is in the kino house. >> Yeah. No, after the garage I got a small job which paid me some money which now I used to go and get my son >> and now we had to get our proper house in Kino.

07:35>> Yes. >> You see but now I was working from home. >> How much was your rent at Kino? Can you remember? >> 7,000. >> 7K. >> 7K. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Wow. And you're jobless. >> Your fourth year. Your fourth year. >> Yes. Yes. >> Your son is there. Who's taking care of your son when you're not there?

07:49>> My mom gave us help. She gave us someone to >> an old an old lady who was taking she the best food ever. It was always lentils and rice what has been brought for by mother. >> But she did an amazing and she mixed with coconut with the ground nuts.

08:05>> Ground nuts. Oh, >> and the job that you now when you've got this computer, the job you want to do is is architectural design. >> Architectural design. So I have my computer on one end, [clears throat] I'm doing my paintings on the other end, but in the house. Emily, what was your problem with him in the house?

08:22>> I've never seen a man stay in the house. So, we are broke and you're staying in the house. So, one day he asked me, "You don't respect me anymore." I thought I respected him. I don't know. But I told him, "This is the problem I have. Why are you staying in the house?