Empowerment to make someone stronger and more confident is what Park University student Humphrey Musila is trying to accomplish for the youth of his country through books and education.

Before Musila came to the United States in January 2013, he had already established a community-based youth organization by the name Makueni County Youth Organization (MACOYO) in the county of Makueni in the eastern park of Kenya.

“During this period I was involved in different activities of youth empowerment with a lot of emphasis on education,” said Musila. “I opened the first library in my home village in 2012 before I left to further my studies in the United States.”

He arrived at Park University in 2013 and after a year he had realized there was an opportunity for book resources and quickly figured out and began an initiative to collect books and encourage students, faculty and staff as well as the community around Kansas City to donate books that would be sent to Kenya to help students and educators.

“I launched the book project in October of last year and the response was very positive,” said Musila. “I saw this as an opportunity to give back to my community in Kenya.”

So far Musila has received a collection of over 2,500 items including books, printers and other stationary, now waiting to be shipped to Kenya.

All of the books, including computer science textbooks; medical and health books; business books and children’s books; just to name a few will find their way to different counties in Kenya and some will go to Musila’s library.

“I plan to launch another phase of book collecting sometime this year,” he said. “I have relied on well-wishers and my government for support to get the books to Kenya and I am glad the books are going to touch the lives of many young people,” he said.

As of last week, Musila had been working with his government on the finalization of the shipment of books and materials.

Park University has brought Musila many new opportunities with its diversified campus and knowledge of many individuals.

“Park University has enriched my knowledge, skills and community service,” he said. “For the past two years, I have been at this university and I have gained a lot, especially meeting and sharing with different people from different cultures and backgrounds, I have diversified my experiences.”

Despite being many miles away from home, as a young leader, Musila felt he had a responsibility to build a better Kenya for everyone.

“The time for sitting down and waiting for ‘manna’ from heaven is long gone,” he said.

Musila believes that young people, not only in Kenya but in all of Africa, need to wake up and apply themselves to make ends meet.

This is what prompted him to begin a social enterprise by the name “African Tutor.”

With this institution, Musila is looking forward to initiate solutions to many challenges faced by young people across Africa today.

African Tutor aims to empower the young generation in Africa by making available useful information such as admissions into institutions of higher education, links to tutors, materials necessary for schooling and other important information concerning the welfare of young people across the country.

African Tutor can be found through their website as well as through their social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter.

Tutors are located in four counties but they are working on recruiting more tutors in the coming weeks to expand into other counties.

In months’ time, African Tutor seeks to boost education in Africa by offering quality online tutorials to students across Africa to take courses online that include financial management and computer programming to name a few. African Tutor is looking not only to boost the quality of education in Kenya but in all of Africa.

Musila says this to his youth in Africa.

“You do not need to build the next Microsoft or Facebook to make a difference in life, you just have to know who you are and what you’re passionate about and then move forward,” he said.

For more information about Musila’s work or to donate books, contact him at [email protected].