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How I was transformed by LEMP

LEMP Team
"For lack of better words, LEMP to me has been awesome and deep. It has really impacted my life. All the modules were helpful. They were eye-openers and really challenged me to question how I live my life. I will just share my take outs from each module: Spiritual Development: God created us for a purpose and our lives begin when we discover why we were created. I now understand well what being created in the image and likeness of God means. I am now certain of my purpose on earth, which is teaching the word of God. I still don't know how I will do it though I have decided to start within my circles. However, I am now taking classes on christian disciplines, doctrines and apologetics at Pathway Institute (in Mamlaka Hill Chapel) in order to prepare for the task. Its my hope and prayer that God will continue using me for the advancement of His Kingdom. Financial Development: If the picture of your future is not clear, you are not living. We all want to achieve financial stability but that alone is not enough if we do not take actions. That's the reality that hit me hard in the face and I decided to have a clear picture of my future. I always told myself that the best time to invest is yet to come only to be told that it was 10 years ago. For a start, I have opened an M-pesa and a photocopy shop in Machakos University. It is now operational and I want to add more machines (computers and printers) so that it will be a fully equipped cyber cafe come May this year. From this one step, my entrepreneurial journey has started and I won't stop until I have more chains of business.  Personal Development: I didn't know much about personal development before I joined LEMP. I am now working on how to activate my dormant strength. I have also added a new skill. I enrolled for a driving school and I will be completing my test next week. Professional Development: One of the most educative classes. I used to send the same cover letter and CV for every job application. You can guess well: I was never called for interviews. I have now learned on how to check for details in the websites of hiring organisations, know the skills needed for the position and edit my CV and cover letter to match the position. I am now confident since I now know how to apply for a job and how to conduct myself during interviews. Networking Development: How could I know that there's something called online brand? I always knew that what happens in my private social media accounts is private. I learned that "internet never forgets' and that employers check the profiles of employees and prospective employees. I have updated all my accounts and I will now be careful on what what I post online. I realized that the people who I thought were in my network were not. I am the one who knows them but they have no idea who I am. Networking is not about who you know but who knows you. I have taken an initiative to get in contact with the people who I desire to be in my professional network and also create new networks. Physical Development:  "Without health, wealth is useless." That quote just explains everything. The class was very informative. I won't forget the effects of drugs in the body, the importance of water, exercise and good diet. I will apply the information for my own physical development and also advice others accordingly. GOD BLESS LEMP." Daniel Musili, LEMP Season 6 Alumni and Student at the University of Nairobi.

The curse of beauty without brains

LEMP Team
Last week, the gods decided I needed to attend one of those peace workshops in the lead up to the general election in some fancy hotel in the heart of the city. The chandelier obsessed conference hall is dotted with men in well-cut Brioni suits, and ladies in colourful, royal elegance Hillary-Clinton-like power suits twenging stereotypically their NGO jargon of capacity building, milestones, indicators, outcomes, deliverables and sustainable goals. Without warning we are slapped with this commanding voice: Ladies and gentlemen, kindly take your seats we are about to start. Heheh! the Kenyan in me wants, sorry, must put the face to the voice. Its the same Kenyan genes that runs towards an accident instead of away from. So, like a typical Kenyan brought up around and about the maize plantations of the Rift Valley and blessed with a height challenge, I shamelessly struggle to stand on my toes and even use the table for support in an endeavour to see who was that commanding us. Well, and that's when I saw her walking in. Everything was working for her. Her illegitimate weave perched on her dry skull fell almost perfectly on her shoulders. Her smile was absorbing. Nearly charming. Her sequined dress complimented her workshop shoes but somewhat ridiculed her handbag. She walked with a swag borrowed from Scandals Season 4. She was what men tucked in a dingy tavern drinking discounted 'happy hour' alcohol and self-praising about their side dishes and Japan imported juggernauts will call hot and sexy. And who could blame them? In any case, in this part of the Sub-Saharan hemisphere, she probably would be the closest they would ever get to the Kardashians. She had this nice, long flowery legs that will make a man going through middle life crisis to sell his ancestral land and ship her ass and multiple monstrous weaves to the Seychelles for the weekend. Her African skin was smooth like a well-ironed nylon dress. She gave the appearance of a high value, high maintenance, well-read, well-travelled, well-exposed, intelligent damsel. In fact, suffice for me to add she looked like one of those I-got-my-own independent women, who probably invented sunscreen or lipstick in some poorly lit laboratory back in her wild campus days. She looked like a pretty thing that devours for breakfast pages of a technical book about empowerment of African women. As you can objectively see, everything was working for her. Well, everything - until she opened her cute mouth to speak. The richness, quality and diversity in her ignorance slapped everyone in the room like a bad omen.  Initially, I had entertained the un-married thought of chit-chatting with her after the workshop. Maybe if I am lucky, take a selfie with her as I whisper a few naughty luhya proverbs in her ears . Obviously in the selfie, her hand will be on my shoulders, or why not, my waist. And since she can't get enough of my warm personality and luhya-ness, she will slap my phone with her number. I will promise to call her as soon as it takes a village cock to enjoy its conjugal rights. Unfortunately, all that un-married thoughts disappeared as soon as she began talking. Don't get me wrong though. I had no problem with her constitutional right of freedom of speech. My problem was her audacity to sunbath her ignorance in public. I left that workshop later in the day disturbed by the fact that most of us don't take time and effort to invest in knowledge and information. We simply live like zombies, talking, shouting, reasoning and operating on whimps, emotions and hearsay. We don't take time to research, study and acquire information, facts and figures. As a result, we walk around smartly dressed but with no substance between our ears. We go for meetings, job interviews, hell ya even on dates, proudly unprepared and happily ignorant. For most of us, the last book we ever read was the last time we were sitting for an exam. We have been conditioned to only read for exams. We are allergic to books. No wonder we have more bars and brothels than bookshops. I am tired of meeting beautiful ladies who are looking for a well-educated, successful man but they can't hold a mature conversation for more than three seconds, before they revert back to Keeping Up with the Kardashians, soap operas and types of weaves. I am tired of meeting men wearing well-cut suits with polished nails and an expensive attitude stuffed inside their six-packs, but can't talk anything beyond the English Premier League and their sexual escapades. We speak too much. Listen less. Read nothing, except those bipartisan, tribalistic gutter press designed to rave up our ethnic emotions and political affiliations for sale and profit margins. I challenge you today to interrogate your source of information and knowledge. I challenge you to interrogate their intentions and objectives. Knowledge and information isn't acquired by osmosis. Great and successful people in life take time to acquire and invest in knowledge. They always talk from a point of knowledge and clear understanding of issues, not emotions and rumours. And like our damsel above, lets not suffer from the course of beauty without brains. Study things. Seek to understand stuff. Be knowledgeable. Get exposed. Travel. Ask questions. Interrogate things and people. Seek to know. So that you speak from the point of knowledge and understanding. And by the way, if you have nothing to say or don't understand an issue well, for the love of John the Baptist - please shut your mouth. Don't simply speak because you have a mouth. If you can't improve the quality of silence, shut up. Even Proverbs 21:23 (NLT) says, watch your tongue and KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, and you will stay out of trouble. Wisdom is the principal thing, and in all your getting, get understanding, Proverbs 4:7 expressingly puts it. While without mincing words, Proverbs 15:14 (NLT) says a wise person is hungry for knowledge while the fool feeds on trash. WOW! Simply put, a wise person is always eager to learn and be enriched with information, while a fool is busy feeding on gossips, rumours and ignorance. No wonder Hosea 4:6 says my people perish for lack of knowledge. What are you feeding your mind on? Image Credit: Ghanacelebrities.com

LEMP completely changed my life

LEMP Team
"LEMP has completely changed my life. I lack a better word for it, however, 360° turn around would do. My attitude, perceptions, beliefs, actions, thoughts, knowledge and understanding towards my life have changed since the first day of the program. Before the program I didn’t know my purpose in life, but now I do. Leadership, serving and encouraging others is why I am on earth. I have a better understanding of what the Manual (The Bible) talks about my mind, body and soul. The Manual is now my main reference point. I didn’t know how to package my CV but now I am well-equipped on how to package it; how to apply for jobs; to prepare myself for interviews; how to act and answer questions on the day of the interview, and finally when given the job what I should focus on before saying yes to the offer. I have a clear and better understanding on how to create networks, and how I will network with people I know. Keeping in mind it’s not who I know, but who knows me. On lifestyle and health, I have a better understanding on the various lifestyle diseases. For instance, diabetes, and that I should manage stress appropriately, exercise, eat a balanced diet and detoxify my body in order to have good health. My main problem about money was how to spend it and how to save and account for it appropriately. However, after the program, I now have a clear understanding on how to develop myself financially, how money works, how to keep money and how to grow it. Leadership, being my purpose in life, I intend to practice the leadership style JESUS used. This is servant and transformational leadership style. LEMP 360° has been an eye opener in my life, I have learned so much I didn’t know before." Lorine Kemunto Kangwana, student at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Siaya County, and LEMP Season 5 Alumni.

I got a job thanks to LEMP

LEMP Team
"It has been a few short months since I first had the LEMP experience. However, it has been one of my most interesting moments. Immediately I cleared my last paper in campus in December 2016, I attended an aptitude test that was administered by one of the leading local banks for its internship program. There were 2,105 applicants, and as l latter came to understand they only wanted 14 people. The lessons that I learnt in LEMP came in really handy through the 5-stage recruitment process, but the most crucial bit was during the interviews. On networking, I cheerfully interacted with one of the managers who was administering the test and he turned out to be the one of the guys that conducted my oral interview. I made sure I refreshed his memory. During the day of the interview, I inquired from one of the cleaners on the character traits of the interviewers to prepare adequately. Since I was aware that we were being watched, I started chatting with my fellow interviewees and we shared our expectations. I knew they wanted someone with leadership qualities. I responded to the questions using the names of the ones who asked, and maintained eye contact. Interestingly, the questions they asked are those taught in LEMP on employability training. I got the position, a chance which had a probability of 14/2105. I appreciate every valuable lesson that I got from the program and I wish LEMP God's blessings even as it impacts many more lives." Anaklet Koros, LEMP Alumni and a graduate from the University of Nairobi.

Keys to financial freedom

LEMP Team
I always wonder why we shy away from talking about money. Yet, money is such an important topic not to pay attention to it.  Its important to frankly talk about money because the decisions we make about money today will affect the quality of our lives tomorrow. Unfortunately, majority of us are trapped in the comfort zone. The comfort zone of 'hustling' just a bit to make ends meet. As long as we have a job and a salary (however, meagre), we are cool - we can survive. Our ambitions are limited by our comfort zones because we are afraid of the unknown or we simply don't want to put in the time. While others are taking risks around us and making it in life, attaining financial freedom and independence - we are busy cheering them on. All the while hoping that one day a miracle will happen and release us from financial bondage.  Well, wonder no more, here are a few financial tips to help you  attain financial freedom: Spend Less Than You Earn. Never spend all the money that you earn. Keep your total living expenses and outgoing payments at no more than 80% of your take home pay. This gives you a cushion that you can use to implement a plan for future needs and even a few luxuries. If you are close to 80% or over already, review your finances to find areas that you can cut back, or look at ways to increase your income. Warren Buffet says: if you buy things you don't need, soon you will sell things you need. Pay Yourself First. This means setting money aside for yourself to ensure that your future is secure. For instance, if you know you have challenges in handling money, one way to accomplish this is to arrange for your employer or bank to deduct a portion of your salary or income before you receive it. The deduction can then be deposited in a fixed account, investment group, Sacco or a project you plan to start or are already working on. You should aim for at least 10% and go higher if possible. In other words, don't save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving. Needs First, Wants Later. Make a monthly budget for your needs only. This budget should include the basics such as food, rent, transport, and healthcare. You should consider entertainment and recreation, but give them a lower priority. This will help you separate mandatory expenses, you know the MUST HAVE's and the GOOD to HAVEs, from discretionary income.  It also allows you to figure out how much of your income is being directed towards things you want and luxuries. A good plan for optional things (wants) is to plan how to get them without decreasing the amount that you save or taking the money from everyday living expenses. Delaying the purchase of non-essential items also gives you time to decide if your money could be better spent in another way. Set Smart Financial Goals. Set goals for managing your finances. Create a roadmap for your future, so you will know where you are going and how long it will take to get there. Your financial goals should be specific and measurable. Do not just say you will cut expenses. Decide how much you can decrease one or two expense items. Your goals should be achievable and realistic. If you want to buy a home, you need a plan for setting aside extra money to come up with the down payment. That might include doing odd jobs or seasonal work to reach your goal. Your goals should be timely. Set a date for them to happen. Even if you miss a milestone, here and there, you can get back on track by reviewing and revising your personal financial goals and strategies regularly. The Bottomline: Personal financial freedom and wealth creation doesn't happen by chance. Its takes an acquisition of knowledge to know what to do. No one was born with the ultimate monopoly on financial knowledge. Remember your biggest enemy to financial independence is not government's taxes, your boss or the devil, its ignorance - lack of knowledge. Decide today to start the journey towards financial freedom by acquiring knowledge. My people perish for lack of knowledge, the Good Book says. I hope you consider joining LEMP 360° Course where you will be equipped, not only to attain financial freedom, but discover how to create wealth. We look forward to having you in the program. Image Credit: budgetily.com
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