Entrepreneurism, Creative Arts, and Education

Hello, everyone. 

I have a friend named Peter Mungai who lives in Kenya, Africa. We met in 2019 through his brother-in-law, a pastor I was working with in the area. Peter is a hardworking man who is passionate about science, engineering, and quality craftsmanship. His dream – the reason we are here today – is to build and sell his own skillfully crafted guitars.

Read more about him below, and/or learn about Peter’s story directly from ☛ his own video here. ☚

 

Peter has had a passion for guitar-making from a young age. Even with limited access to training and resources, little Peter would build guitars from cans and sticks. Growing up as one of eight children, he became inspired by the success his siblings had found in becoming engineers. So Peter joined a telecommunication and engineering program with the intention of understanding the science behind building a high-quality guitar.

 

Through personal research and observation, Peter realized that Kenyan guitar manufacturers were unable to produce products that were marketable as China flooded Kenya with cheaply made instruments in a weak shilling economy. Instruments can be hurt or hindered by the wood used in their production.  Much indigenous wood famed for guitar manufacturing has preemptively been contracted out to China making it a struggle for Kenyans to even obtain it. By collaborating with international researchers at his university, Peter developed an algorithm to find new woods with excellent sound quality in Kenya that are comparable to the type used by high-end guitar manufacturers. His dream was now to design, build, and sell guitars not just in Kenya but around the globe, revitalizing the luthier industry in his nation. 

Peter moved into a workshop that doubled as his home so that he could pursue his dream while working on his degree. During this period, he would work without pay in exchange for food – and even then he would go hungry for days. He struggled with a nameless depression that had been growing his whole life. Then, tragedy struck. An accident involving a circular saw fractured Peter’s fingers and left him hospitalized. With his hands impaired, finding work became even harder. He could no longer use the workshop. Peter felt his dream dying in front of him. 

While hospitalized, Peter could not pay the rent on his home. His landlords threw him and everything in his workshop into the street. With nowhere to go, his tools were stolen and the wood he had gathered was destroyed by rain. He was forced to drop out of his engineering program. Some people in his community stepped up and allowed him to stay in their homes as he tried to regroup, but his support network was small. Peter felt like a failure and could not find a way to justify his position to his family. He isolated further. His depression became consuming. 

As Peter fought to keep afloat doing back-breaking, low-pay, seasonal farm work, he began struggling with thoughts of suicide. Scraping by on a farm gave him $2 - $4 a day. After he eventually found a home of his own, he attempted to return to college. But his depression barred him from success. He would re-enroll, attend briefly, and be forced to drop out over and over again. Eventually, the symptoms of his overwhelming depression won out. Multiple times, Peter attempted to die. 

A local pastor recognized that Peter desperately needed help. After being taken in by the pastor’s family, Peter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is a devastating diagnosis for anyone, but in Kenya it can often be a death sentence. Despite this, Peter stepped up to the challenge. He took his condition seriously. With the right medication, an effective support network, and a huge amount of personal effort, Peter was finally able to rejoin his telecommunications and engineering program. Over ten years after his devastating injury, he has earned his degree. 

Making guitars is still Peter’s passion and he has a strong desire to build and export high-quality guitars. With a company, Peter is positioned to give back to his own community. It is not uncommon to start a small private school in Kenya with no money. Kenyan government is encouraging companies to sponsor schools after the collapse of education during the Covid emergency. Because of this dynamic, Peter has secured a two year contract with no leasing fee on a school property to house his guitar manufacturing company. 

Peter knows firsthand the stigma of disabilities and special needs. Parents who know Peter’s story have begun to bring their children to him, knowing they will find compassion for their undiagnosed challenges. But Peter’s company must be stable to support the emerging school and integrate these precious children with no where else to go. Peter was the first headboy of this same school, a student leadership role representing the student body, and has now become its first Director independent of the adjacent church.  


That is where we all and this GoFundMe campaign come in.  I want to support Peter in recovering his lost dream. Together, we have the ability to give him that gift.  So many people with passion, vision, and talent quietly fall through the cracks without notice. But we have the opportunity to change Peter’s life in a powerful way. Our donations can empower him to build his business and his future. After persevering through poverty, disability, and mental illness, Peter can attain his dream. 

Please share this campaign in your own circles with music lovers, lovers of undiscovered artisans, and promotors of community education.  

Thank you so much for your support. Let us get Peter fully funded!