Orphaned at the age of 11, Mubarak Muyika knew he had to brace up and face life head-on. He was made to live with his Aunt and her husband who owned a small book publishing and distribution company, Acrodile Publishers.

While working with his adoptive parents, he discovered the difficulty they faced each day trying to reach more customers with the insufficient help of a webmaster who provided a poor service at a very high cost. Mubarak took the initiative to address this need; he began teaching himself how to build a website using online resources. The result of his work was very amazing. In a space of months, the teenager became a website pro. He then delivered a working e-commerce site for Acrodile Publishers.

Mubarak’s entrepreneurial leanings were discovered at an early stage, when he began business at Kamusinga High School in Bungoma County. This drive intensified as he grew older, I guess that explains why he turned down what young men his age would call a very rare opportunity; a fully paid scholarship to the prestigious Harvard University in the US.

He knew that was the price he had to pay for his dream. Most people found the young man’s action difficult to comprehend, but not Chris Kirubi; the business mogul who recommended Mubarak for the scholarship.

In January 2012, Mubarak registered Hype Century Technologies and Investments Ltd, a company which deals in web-designing and domain registration. He soon incorporated two of his friends in the enterprise and within three months, the business became a highly profitable one.

HypeCentury has continued to grow and become profitable, expanding services to include domain name registration, online marketing, and more. Mubarak’s vision for HypeCentury is to grow East Africa’s economy by leveraging the power of the internet. Isn’t it clear that the young man is striding on the right path?

The entrepreneur Mubarak Muyika is also an Anzisha prize fellow; he contested in 2012 and was awarded with Sh1.1 million. Since then, several major business doors have been opening at will for the young business man. In December 2012, Mubarak hit a big one when he entered business with Indian investor Jignesh Patel who runs I-Code Ltd. Mr Patel acquired a 25 per cent stake in the company while Mubarak had 60. By the end of the year the company had more than 900 domains.

Soon after that, Mubarak registered another firm, Zagace, an enterprise management platform that uses Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and web-hosting resources to create a basic forum for business systems and processes. He rented a two-bedroom house which acts as his office and has employed about 12 computer programmers. Mubarak is set to take the world and may never relent until he achieves his purpose.

He had the option of wallowing in self-pity with a badge on his chest that says; “I am a helpless orphan, can’t you see?” instead he took charge of his life and became a solution to other people’s needs. You too can take the world, but first, you need to take charge of your life and then step out in faith. You are stronger and more intelligent than you know.

Kenya Start-Up Founder, Startup, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Planning, Business, Social Media, Technology, E-Commerce, Overcoming Adversity, Leadership,