Joram Mawi, 38, a resident of Lanet Nakuru has surprised many by coming up with an innovative three-wheeled car.
When we meet him at his Lanet home, Mawi an alumni of Ofafa Jericho High school in Nairobi says his dream was to study engineering.
However, his parents were against that and he joined Kenya Polytechnic to study medical lab.
He however dropped out and ventured into charity work.
“My parents wanted me to do medicine but as for me, my dream was to do engineering,” he said.
In 2011 he moved to Nakuru where he started working on the innovative idea of coming up with a three-wheeled vehicle from a motorbike.
He says the idea was motivated by the fact that there were so many accidents taking place in Kenya involving motorbikes.
Mawi’s first and second design of the vehicle in 2016 and 2017 did not work as per his expectation but this did not kill his dream.
In 2018, he came up with a third design that worked and he now calls it ‘nduthi car’.
“My first design was not good as it was too heavy, I made the second design but then it was not successful as the engine was overheating but this did not kill my dream. I proceeded and came up with this design that has worked,” he said.
The ‘nduthi car’ operates like a normal vehicle in terms of transmission.
Mawi’s dream is to see young people who have no opportunity to acquire formal education acquire skills and become self reliant.
“This is not the end, we are looking on how we can help youths who had no opportunity like me to go to school because of one reason or another acquire skills. In the next few years I’m looking forward to getting a space where these young people can get simple training,” he said.
Mawi still hopes to join an engineering class.
“I might have not stepped in an engineering class as I had dreamt but I look forward to step in one day and acquire skills to help other youths. I also call on the government to ensure that the youths benefit from the funds that have been disbursed,” he said.
The ‘nduthi car’ has cost him close to Sh70, 000.