Introducing Street Intelligence

My love of arts and culture is what motivates and inspires me to be an advocate for today’s youth. To take what I’ve learned and experienced and teach it to a new generation is an awesome undertaking.

I came from humble beginnings.I had no plan to adapt a different culture. In 2007, I broke my ankle playing football, which ended my dreams of playing professional football. I was lost, but I still remember an LA DJ artist (Astro Black) from Los Angeles,California who taught me all about hip hop culture. I tried to adapt it and incorporate it with my native Burundi culture which gave me so many challenges, I found it hard to live with my own people.

I thrived by learning to focus and teach the culture to other youth around me. I saw many young people going down the wrong path and there was no one doing anything to help them.

There was a quote I read somewhere that has always stuck with me:

‘’I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody – Lily Tomlin’’

Taking that quote to heart, I started working to recreate the arts and culture movement for the youth. I created dance functions and made short films, using local kids from the area as actors and extras. I wanted to inspire them the way I had been inspired by the arts. I didn’t want to be the one observing, but not doing anything to help.

I wanted to create opportunities by giving back to the people in ways which would improve the quality of,their lives. My greatest ambition was to build business to create an opportunity for the local youth, as well as teaching them entrepreneurship. Being able to start with nothing, and do great things out of love to build a future for themselves and their community. 

I then started and ran a youth organization with the mission of supporting and empowering young people to become responsible citizens while I was still a teenager myself. After the closure of the organization, I have been heavily involved in the HABNAB GROUP, as well as continuing to learn more about how to navigate the pathway of life.

I am a true believer that success is the ability to be self-reliant, or to live by our own resources. Taking something you love and turning it into a career. This could be driven by your passion or your big why.  I began sharing my story with 17-18 year-old Island youth who watched me grow into a responsible individual, while having a laugh on society and life in general. 

I knew at that moment, if change was going to happen, it was going to start with me.

I knew exactly what I wanted to build. I wanted to create something that could inspire and motivate young people to excellence. I wanted to build a culture where anyone can belong. It doesn’t matter what color you are as long as you are striving to be better every day. All that is required is to be the best version of yourself that you can be. We need a culture of excellence!