Dear customers, during this customer service week, we are thrilled to celebrate you, the heartbeat of our organization.
Your support transcends our transactions; it is the foundation of the exceptional service we strive to provide.
Thank you for choosing us!!
Ken Sabwa – Mang’u Boys high school
The events of Tuesday, January 15, 2019 are still fresh in my mind. I lost my close friend – Ken Sabwa – that I have known for two (2) decades during the attack. I have since had some moments to think about the whole attack situation at Dusit D2 and to reflect on how I saw the police, rescue team and a handful of brave civilians (all together referred to as the evacuation team) come in to take over the Dusit terror attack site.
Before this incident, I believe that the evacuation team come from what would be comparatively a safe comfort zone. Their lives were not under death threat. They were probably off duty resting at home or on duty perhaps having a normal day at the barracks or station running their routine drills. Suddenly, they had to face the reality of the new situation that required them to assess a crisis which was a live threat to many, go in and work hard to neutralize it.
Literally, this means that the evacuation team had to get out of their comfort zones and put their lives on the line for the sake of others. What kind of will power do you need to master-up to do that? I am certain many people would consider handing in their resignation at that point if it was an option. It is a tough thing to do, to place the safety and wellbeing of strangers before your own – all the time knowing that there is a reasonable chance that you may not come out of it alive. The stakes are too high!!
Leading Civilians to safety
As I repeatedly watched some of the clips circulating around showing how the team approached and immersed themselves into the war zone to evacuate people who would qualify to be referred to as strangers to them, I was left wondering what it took for them to do this. The cause must be bigger than the individual value that they place on their own lives. This I have concluded is what we often refer to as the greater good. It is a cause that surpasses our own individual interest and results in the best outcome across board. When they were convicted of the greater good – the evacuation team got the kick that they needed to get themselves to do what needed to be done.
Many times, in our day to day lives, we are faced with similar situations – albeit of little scale in comparison as often the stakes are nothing compared to the risk of loss of life. We find ourselves in a situation where we must do something extra ordinary to intervene in a situation – for the greater good. Many a times as much as the task at hand may seem insurmountable and very uncomfortable to execute, we often know exactly what needs to be done for this greater good. We however sometimes lack the kick that gets us into action. It might be something as simple as getting up at 5am to hit the gym, facing a difficult client, having a tough conversation at work with a junior or senior colleague or even just remaining steadfast to a weight loss diet. Faced with this, we often bog ourselves down with worries, blames, excuses and denial about many unnecessary things. “What will people think?”, “Do I really have to do this now?”, “Is there no one else who can do this?”, “Maybe with time, this situation may just fix itself?”, “How will I appear to others?” “What if someone gets hurt (physically, emotionally, mentally, financially) in the process?”, “What if…?” “What if….. ?”, “What if….?”
Reading from this same script, my desire for myself and us all Kenyans is to be a people with the will power to confront and execute relentlessly, those things that we are convinced are the right to do in our own context. Those that are in the best interest of the greater good. Those that are advised by the right decision. I desire for us to always have the kick that we need to execute with great resolve, no matter how difficult it seems to fathom or execute either physically or emotionally. I believe that this is the way to achieve the best interest for the greater good.
The cops may have lost one of their own and may not have managed to get my friend Ken Sabwa and the other victims out alive, but they did rescue over 700 people and that indeed is action in the best interest for the greater good. I salute the entire evacuation team and their support systems for a job very well done with such a degree of selflessness.
It is never easy to deal with loss of life especially when the victims are well known to you. No amount of action can ever reverse the loss, but we can have a moment of truth to ourselves that will always remind us of our departed beloved. Farewell my friend Ken and may the souls of all the departed rest in eternal peace as we have the resolve to pursue fearlessly and relentlessly the all-round greater good!
Chris Gathingu
Group Chief Executive Office – Tangazoletu Limited
DEMYSTIFYING “JISHINDE-USHINDE”
The Board of Directors of Mang’u High School, Principal, Deputy Principal, Teachers and Staff of Mang’u High School, Parents of Mang’u High School, Alumni and friends of Mang’u High School, Students…
Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon!
Today it gives me great pleasure to have this chance to preside over the prize giving event for this prestigious institution. It is a great honor and I am greatly humbled to be selected for this great role; a role that I accept with humility and joy.
Introduction
My names are Chris Gathingu, CEO and Founder of Tangazoletu Limited. I am 32 years old, married and a father of one girl whom we named Janice. I schooled here in Mang’u High School, Proceeded to pursue Computer Technology, I have a Masters degree in Management Information Systems from University of Sunderland and I am currently in Strathmore University currently studying an Executive course for entrepreneurs known as Owner Manager Program. My company, Tangazoletu Limited is responsible for national systems like, SpotCash Mobile Banking, Lipa na M-Pesa and TIBU.
1998 – 2001
I joined Mang’u High School 17 years ago, in 1998 but I remember it like it was just yesterday. I remember WALKING THROUGH THE GATES of this prestigious institution and having so much JOY IN MY HEART as I knew that I had a CHANCE TO FULFILL MY DREAMS. Here in Mang’u I stayed in RONALD NGALA HOUSE in Form 1 and 2 and crossed the Berlin wall later on to stay in SCHNEIDER HOUSE over form 3 and 4.
When we joined Mang’u we were unclear about many things and sometimes we did not know what to expect, but one thing that we was more than clear was the main reason that brought us to Mang’u; to pursue our dreams of a bright future. To date, i thank the then teaching fraternity as they took time to demystify the “JISHINDE USHINDE” motto. They imprinted in our minds that there were only 2 SCHOOLS IN KENYA; MANG’U AND THE REST. I was also involved with extracurricular activities; I played rugby as a hooker in form 3 and 4. Some of my friends also played Rugby, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Volley ball, Hand ball etc. I know what it takes and I appreciate the teams at Alliance representing Mang’u today in sports. I also participated in mathematics & science contest. Friends when we joined Mang’u, we quickly realized that we were admitted into a center of merit and excellence. There was no room for being average. We weren’t going to get average grades, lead an average life, get an average job, and average wife, average kids…NO. That was not the MANG’U WAY. We had to excel and we excelled in Academics, Sports, music festivals and all co-curriculum activities. We excelled! I graduated in 2001 with an A- (77 points).
2003 – 2007:
When I left Mang’u, my parents had wished that I would study medicine but to their disappointment, I missed the course with just 1 point. I was instead admitted into JKUAT to study Computer Technology. Notice I said MY PARENTS were disappointed, I wasn’t. I then took a bold step and talked to my parents informing them that medicine was a fantastic career that people loved but maybe it was not for me. I took them through the memories of how far they had to run after me each time I went to hospital and was informed that I needed to be prepared for an injection, I would actually be caught at the gate running. They later understood, supported me and went further to allow me to make decisions. It dawned on me that I enjoyed working and playing with computers ever since I was a child and it’s then that I realized that my passion was actually in computers. In JKUAT, I carried on the discipline of JISHINDE USHINDE and purposed to excel. I later on graduated in 2007 with first class honors. In the same year, in 2007, I went ahead to register Tangazoletu Limited, the business I run to date as we develop Computer software, Mobile financial solutions and other ICT solutions.
2009-2010:
I joined University of Sunderland to pursue a Masters degree in Management Information Systems.
2015:
I joined Strathmore University and currently studying an Executive course for entrepreneurs known as Owner Manager Program.
I am still a student.
Tangazoletu, the organization that I run has had its fair share of challenges as well as successes. Since inception, we have employed up to 120 staff members and we currently employ 32 people. We have extended the business to the whole country, the continent and are working on an expansion plan to the USA.
Although the journey has not been easy, I have learned several values which have guided me and I would like to share them with you today;
“The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.” –Bum Phillips
This involves;
“If you believe in yourself anything is possible.” – Miley Cyrus
Make every day a learning opportunity.
Support your life with co-curricular activities – be admirable, JISHINDE USHINDE.
There are 3 kinds of people….
We are all a work in progress and you have the privilege of being the driver of your own progress, you choose the direction you want to take. It does not matter where you are coming from, what matters is knowing where you are and where you want to go. We must uphold the great legacy of Mang’u as a center for excellence and Merit in academics and co curriculum activities. Remember that Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world. Friends, when we came into Mang’u High School, we made a decision to excel.
Let’s celebrate the 90 students who scored plain A’s. This is testament that time has changed and when time changes; you must change with the time. During our time at Mang’u High School, we scored a Mean grade of B+, If 2014 students scored a B+, we won’t be here. A B+ doesn’t cut it for your time. 2015 student’s, you must work harder than the 2014 students and score higher!
We made a decision that we were going to be the category of people who make things happen through the self-discipline of JISHINDE USHINDE. That decision was the most critical decision we ever made with our lives to date. Today, we continue to make that same decision with our lives every day. That decision has got us to where we are now. The question is, “have you made your decision? Do you want to embrace JISHINDE USHINDE and make things happen or do you want to watch things happen or worse still, wondering what just happened?” Let us all choose wisely to have a great future. Choose the path of JISHINDE USHINDE!
Thank you very much, God bless us all and God Bless Mang’u High School!
