"If you have a dream you don't need a plan B"

Liebe Freunde / Dear friends (please scroll down for english version)

mein Name ist Johannes, ich komme aus München und habe mit meiner lieben Frau Iris und den beiden erwachsenen Kindern Anna und Felix vor ca. 4 Jahren das Kitesurfen angefangen und sehr viel Spass an dem Sport gefunden.

Die letzte Kite Reise führte uns an den Strand von Watamu in Kenia, ein unter Naturschutz stehendes Gebiet mit weißen Sandstränden und tropischem Klima.

Dort lernten wir den 27 jährigen Kenianer John Kahindi, Rufname Josh, kennen. Josh ist ein begnadeter Kitesurfer dessen Lebenstraum es ist eine eigene Kite Schule zu eröffnen.

Schnell wurde klar, dass es für Einheimische beinahe unmöglich ist, diesen Schritt aus eigener Kraft zu schaffen. Hotels, viele Restaurants und Kite-Schulen sind fest in europäischer Hand. Die Gehälter von Einheimischen, sofern sie ein regelmäßiges Einkommen haben, reichen gerade so zum Leben. Das von Josh angesparte Geld reichte nicht mal für die Unterlagen für den Kite Trainerschein, geschweige denn für das benötigte Equipment.

Wir haben zwei Wochen mit Josh in Kenia verbracht und uns angefreundet. Schon lange nicht mehr habe ich einen solch freundlichen, zielstrebigen und engagierten jungen Mann kennengelernt. Dies hat mich ganz spontan dazu bewogen Ihn zu unterstützen seinen Traum zu verwirklichen. Sein Slogan: "If you have a dream, you don't need a plan B" hat mich mehr als beeindruckt.

Wenn Ihr mehr über Josh erfahren wollt dann lest bitte die Story bis zum Ende.

Ich selbst habe in meinem Berufsleben sehr viel erreicht, die richtigen Firmen gewählt und die richtigen Menschen getroffen. Jetzt ist es an der Zeit etwas zurückzugeben. So habe ich mich entschlossen, Josh finanziell und mit meinem Business Know-how zu unterstützen.

Nach ersten privaten Investments in die Ausbildung, Firmenregistrierung und Strandmiete, Kite Equipment (4 Kites mit Zubehör), diverse Versicherungen, Fotos, Aufkleber, sowie ein gebrauchtes Moped, habe ich mich nun entschlossen, das noch fehlende Geld über diese Crowd-Funding Plattform zu beschaffen.

Um den Schulbetrieb vernünftig betreiben zu können, muß noch weiteres Kite Equipment beschafft werden. Ich habe mittlerweile mit einem der größten Kite Produzenten Kontakt aufgenommen und auch schon sehr gute Einkaufskonditionen für die Schule vereinbaren können.

Die Schule hat mittlerweile ein Logo, einen Platz am wunderschönen Strand von Watamu und die Web Site wird gerade von der liebenswerten Nichte eines sehr guten Freundes erstellt.

Josh hat mir versichert, dass alle Spender, welche es eventuell nach Watamu Beach zum Kiten verschlägt, den Gegenwert Ihrer Spende in Form von Kite Stunden oder Leih-Equipment erhalten. Also auf nach Kenia - Watamu Beach ist traumhaft.

Vielen Dank für eure Spende. Ihr gebt Josh damit eine echte Chance seinen Traum zu verwirklichen!

Johannes

Dear friends,

My name is Johannes, I live in Munich and started kitesurfing with my dear wife Iris and our two adult children Anna and Felix about 4 years ago and we’re really enjoying the sport.

The last kite trip took us to Watamu Beach in Kenya, a protected area with white sandy beaches and a tropical climate.

There we met the 27-year-old Kenyan John Kahindi, nickname Josh. Josh is a gifted kite surfer whose lifelong dream is to open his own kite school.

It quickly became clear that it is almost impossible for locals to take this step on their own. Hotels, many restaurants, and kite schools are firmly in European hands. The salaries of locals, if they have a regular income, are just enough to live on. The money Josh saved when we met him was not even enough for the documents for the kite trainer license, let alone for the necessary equipment.

We spent two weeks with Josh in Kenya and became friends. It's been a long time since I've met such a friendly, goal-oriented and committed young man. This convinced me to support him in realizing his dream, and I love his slogan: "If you have a dream, you don't need a plan B".

If you want to know more about Josh, then please read this story till the end.

I have achieved a lot in my professional life, chose the right companies and met the right people. Now it's time to give something back. Therefore, I decided to support Josh financially and with my business know-how.

After initial private investments in training materials, company registration and beach rental, kite equipment (4 kites with accessories), various insurance policies, photos, stickers and a used moped, I have now decided to raise the missing money through this crowd-funding platform.

In order to be able to run the school properly, more kite equipment has to be procured. In the meantime, I have contacted one of the largest kite manufacturers and have already been able to agree on very good purchasing conditions for the school.

The school now has a logo, a site on beautiful Watamu Beach and the web site is under construction by a very good friend's lovely niece.

Josh has assured me that any donor who may end up kiting at Watamu Beach will receive the equivalent of their donation in the form of kite lessons or rental equipment. So off to Kenya - Watamu Beach is gorgeous.

Thank you for your donation. You give Josh a real chance to make his dream come true!

Josh's Story:

My name is John Kahindi, but all my friends call me Josh. I'm 27 years old, born and raised in Watamu in a family of six kids. I am the second born in my family. I have one elder brother and three sisters.

Watamu is a small but rapidly growing coastal town. Watamu is a beautiful beach holiday destination and has been for years a favorite choice for kite lovers.

(me - with glasses - and my cousin)

The bay of Watamu offers conditions for kite surfers. Constant trade winds, a choice of large sand bars, over five kilometers of powder white sand beaches with crystal blue waters and large summer swells make Watamu a wonderful playground.

My story with kites goes way back to when I was a kid. As a young boy, my friends and I would often help tourists carry and pump their kites down at Turtle Bay beach. After I cleared my primary education, my dad did not have enough money to send me to high school. But I did not loose hope. I had a dream. I had passion and I had the drive and determination to go after my dream which is to open my own kite school here in my village.

I continued going to the beach and helping kite friends with their equipment. During this time, I taught myself how to operate and fly the kite and also how to train people. In 2016, the owner of an Italian run Kite School, noticed my love for kitesurfing and gave me a job at his school in Garoda Beach back then. I started at the beginner level. Then I became the receptionist and guest relations manager. My duties at the kite school involved planning and preparing for lessons. I also helped managing the school while he was away. When another kite spot was opened in Jacaranda Beach, I was sent there as a kite school manager where I learned a lot of skills. I helped run and manage the school for two years then went back to Garoda Beach where I have been freelancing.

With the skills I have learned over the years, my dream is to open my own kite school here in Watamu. As a young entrepreneur, I am faced with numerous of challenges. One of the major challenges that I am facing is funding the Kite equipment and the high cost of import duties. With the kind help of Johannes I hope to make my dream come true.