When Jonah Nderitu sat his secondary school education scoring a Grade B, he never knew what life had reserved for him. The fact that his family was unable to raise money to pay his higher education school fees, deflated his ego and destabilised him mentally.
However, Nderitu never gave up. Left with no option, he opted to take up manual jobs in his rural home in order to survive as he planned on his next course of action.
At one point, he was introduced to the second hand clothes business which he did both in his village and in Nairobi's Buruburu estate.
All this time, his zeal to further his education never faded. He remained determined and optimistic that one day, his hard work would pay off.
On a number of occasions, Nderitu had heard narratives on how people who went to the United States made it in life, it was a rosy affair. He was determined to further his education in the land of opportunities.
With this determination, he went back to his rural home and informed his former colleagues that he wanted to travel to the US and further his studies.
His colleagues and matatu crew members would then contribute money that helped him secure an air ticket.
Nderitu traveled to America with the aim of securing a slot in one of the best schools. His dreams would come to fruition after he joined the Northwest Missouri State University where he would study three different degree courses.
"I really had the quest to get an education and so when the opportunity presented itself, I studied for three degrees simultaneously. I studied Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science. Afterwards, I even got a job opportunity," he narrated.
Nderitu was, however, not fulfilled. He decided to work his passion in the arts and tried his hand in stand-up comedy, which in turn landed him a job at the prestigious Hollywood.
"When I got to Hollywood, I was able to attend a music school and so I can produce music," he added.
In his career, the entertainer has been able to meet and work with big names in the entertainment industry including American celebrities.
"I have worked for America's got talent and shared a stage with English television personality, entrepreneur, and record executive Simon Cowell during the semi-finals in 2018."
He had been doing so well that at one time, he earned Ksh1 million in just a single show. At the time, he had hosted 3,000 guests who paid Ksh2,000 each.
Nderitu encourages the youth not to give up in life, to have good morals and be strengthened by the fact that a mitumba-seller can rub shoulders with top celebrities and make it in life.
He encourages Kenyan youth to be disciplined in pursuit of their dreams - but to also value education, adding that he later added two-degree courses in the arts.
