The Celebrated Environmentalist Dr Isaac Kalua Green-PhD has devised a psychological tool of advising those in their late twenties to embrace their mistakes but vow never to repeat them.
In his motivational e-books on Saturday 7th January, Kalua Green who rose to an international iconic figure from humble background tells the world how the mistakes he made in his late twenties saw him become a better person in his forties
Incidentally, the three decades of his life represent a life trajectory that immersed him into powerful life lessons that have made a lasting difference to date.
Likening Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe, “People say that if you find water rising up to your ankle, that’s the time to do something about it, not when it’s around your neck.
It’s a common occurrence that everyone at around twenties, is always in touch of the reality; yes, hard economic times just as the Central Bank of Kenya Governor, Prof Njuguna Ndung’u says, “Tighten your belts because 2023 is going to be a tougher year economically, the country’s economic outlook for the year does not look good’’.
Dr Kalua Green, as a young eco-entrepreneur between 1991-2001 when he was in his twenties, he made very many mistakes. For instance, he would visit his farm in Kitui sometimes together with his father, Bishop Kalua. During these visits, he often heaped praises on his farm workers whenever he noticed that the crops were flourishing.
In one such farm visit, his father told him “As the owner of this farm, don’t just put your attention on what has been done right; instead focus on what has been done wrong or not done at all, however small it may be. That way, you will keep improving”
“My father’s words helped me to forever embrace mistakes instead of running away from them. Indeed, mistakes can be priceless gifts if one chooses never to repeat any of them,’’ He reminisces.
At one time, he hired a car from President William Ruto who was running a business that included car hire, after using the car for about three weeks, he was unable to fully pay because of what he terms living beyond means
The mistake he made in early nineties put his relationship with Ruto on a temporary strain but admits that it resulted due to his financial mismanagement-pattern that saw him live beyond his means.
Even as the Government continues to execute measures that will lower the cost of living, Dr Kalua advises all of us to take the individual responsibility to live within our means. This will enable us to save and invest wisely.
After a decade of making multiple mistakes and choosing not to repeat any, he approached the next 10-year period with a mentality of providing tangible solutions which included founding the Green Africa Foundation in 2000.
In 2001 he was chosen as member of Kenya National Sports Council and Chair of Cricket Kenya in 2004. In 2005 he was assigned CEO of the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, 2007 Mombasa.
He diligently executed his duties and also remained focused on his green agenda which led to Green Africa Foundation winning the prestigious International Olympic Committee (IOC) global award for Sport and environment in Vancouver, Canada in 2009.
He was able to achieve these because he applied lessons from the previous decade. The same applies to our nation Kenya. “We must learn from the past if our future is to be bright. The recent loss of about one million jobs due to COVID demonstrates that there is an urgent need for more diversity and resilience in our economy.
By diversifying its economy, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has grown its economy exponentially from USD47 Billion in 1982 to USD417 Billion in 2022,’’. He emphasizes
According to Dr Kalua, one of the many strategies they used was to establish 45 free economic zones that allow 100 percent foreign ownership, which greatly boosted Foreign Direct Investments. Kenya must strategically follow suit to spur economic growth for job creation and reduce the high cost of living.
Between 2011 to 2022 during his forties, he added a third layer in the trajectory of his growth. He embarked on a mission of impacting society at a grander yet even more personal scale.
It is during this period that he served as Vice Chair of Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA), Chairman of the Kenya Water Towers Agency, heightened his service as Founder and CEO of Green Africa Group of Companies and initiated the now hugely impactful Plant your Age Campaign.
These initiatives have created millions of sustainable livelihoods and greatly replenished the environment. Away from a multitude of accolades, the greatest lesson learned in his third decade as an eco-entrepreneur is the importance of respect for people. Respect begets truthfulness. Truth is the antidote of boundless relationships.
In 2023, it cannot be business as usual. We must embrace our Mistakes, choose to be Problem Solvers and Respect fellow humans. He abbreviates this as MPR which apparently means Monthly Progress Report. “Let’s apply MPR for sustainable growth. Think green act green,’’ He concludes.