As a Class 7 dropout, one may feel that life has taken a turn for the worst, if not for the constant humiliations from society, its the limitations of job opportunities, among other scenarios of hopelessness.
However, this reality did not put down Peter Chang'ari who kept going despite his modest formal education. In a media interview, he narrated his journey that began when he dropped out in Class 7 after he was unable to pay school fees.
Born and raised in a poverty-stricken background, he narrated how he had to work hard in order to fend for himself. Through determination and hard work, he got employed as a mechanic. Later, he picked the lessons and began welding cars - a skill he learnt from his employer at the garage.
''I watched the old man repair cars and learnt from him. I started working on old bikes until I finally got my own welding equipment. I continued until I began welding cars,'' he narrated.
He stated that his passion for innovation drove him to build a cart, at a very young age which in turn motivated him to build a car.
However, his breakthrough stemmed from a bitter twist of events where he had requested assistance from a stranger only to be looked down upon.
''When I was in Narok, I requested someone to help me transport Maize using his car, instead, he despised me and jeered off leaving a cloud of dust behind, this turn of events motivated me to build my own car.'' he stated
He noted that his innovation journey had not been an easy one, stating that the first vehicle which was a three wheeled was well received however locals preferred a four wheeled vehicle thus prompting him to manufacture the second one.
Speaking in one of the cars he built, Chang'ari stated that he began with a capital of Ksh 150,000 that he earned from the mechanical job he was doing, adding that the materials he used for the car were locally sourced from Jua Kali whereas the clutch he used was sourced from an old motorbike.
Talking about his fulfilling his dreams, the youthful innovator shared that all he needs to extrapolate his dream is a place to assemble cars, the capacity to employ more people, and financial support from interested investors. He further disclosed that with the help of able personnel and financial assistance, he can build a car within a month.
The trained mechanic further disclosed that he had travelled to different places such as Nairobi, Embu using the car and it only cost him 250 shillings, he added that the car moves at a speed of 80km/hr.
The unique vehicle has a carrying capacity of up to 7 tonnes per trip - an innovation that makes him one of the first Kenyans to assemble a vehicle from locally acquired materials.
