Thursday, 12:11pm. A friend texts me:

"Oh gosh have you heard about Petty ;("

Petty was our tennis coach in Nairobi. I used to play with him twice a week for a couple of years before I moved to the U.S. in 2022. I'm in the middle of a lunch meeting when I see the message and can’t reply right away. I fear the worst — that he’s died in a traffic accident, as many Kenyans do every day. I started wondering what I would do if that's the case: Would I organize a fundraising for his funeral? And what would be the point of that — it wouldn’t bring him back.

A few minutes later, before I have a chance to follow up with my friend, Petty texts me himself:

"Mambo Magda, how are you? My house got burn by fire, I lost everything."

I’m relieved. The possessions he lost — we can definitely recover.

I’ve gone back and forth these past couple of days about whether to share this fundraising publicly, or just send him a few hundred dollars and not bother my network. But I believe he shouldn’t have to start over alone — and a few hundred more would go a long way in Kibera, Nairobi.

Petty is a hard-working man and a mentor to many kids in the community. He teaches them tennis and organizes tournaments. Everyone at the Public Service Club in Nairobi knows him.

If you can chip in even a couple dollars to help him after this terrible experience, your money will definitely go further than sitting in the current stock market. I’ll be sending 100% of what I receive directly to him. If you are in Kenya, you can also send directly to his m-pesa: 0111769929.