Entrepreneur’s name: Peru Alex Khaemba

Designation: Lead photographer, Perlexy Photography

Location: Mombasa, Kenya

Mowgli Mentoring Program: Imarisha Mentoring Program, funded by the Argidius Foundation

Myname is Peru Alex Khaemba. I am the lead photographer at Perlexy Photography. Perlexy Photography was founded on the 12th day of March 2016 after developing a passion for photography while in campus 3 years earlier so I decided to make juice out of it.

Like many other journeys, this has not been a walk in the park but the flip side has a lot of positives. The learning has been immense through the people and brands I’ve worked with, and experiences.

Why did you join the Imarisha Mentoring Program?

3 years ago, my lecturer shared a video of Jack Ma who talked about what entrepreneurs should do at different stages of their lives. He says between the ages of 20–30, one should follow somebody for the purposes of learning from them (a mentor). Ever since I watched that video, I made a point to learn more and followed a good number of people who have contributed immensely to my journey. A few times; I followed the wrong people and even went to the extent of going through a number of rough phases. However, in the same video, the business mogul explains that it’s okay to make mistakes. Through my rough patch, I made a decision to take control of my life and it was at this point that a close friend introduced me to Mowgli’s Imarisha Mentoring Program, I applied and here we are.

We realize that it’s still quite early in your relationship but please share how your mentoring experience has been so far

I liken mentoring to the road signs we encounter on any journey. These signs act as guidelines on the directions we need to take to reach our destination and sometimes, what to expect on the journey. The last 3 months with Jackson have been just that. Jackson has been a great sounding board for me, a guide and a mirror. I hope to continue learning from him.

We are working towards achieving set goals from both ends with a major focus on my end. The relationship goes beyond mentor-mentee, we are building a paved friendship.

Parting shot…

There is something unique about Imarisha that should be adapted by other mentorship programs and mentors. I have been to a number of mentorship programs that didn’t mature to anything mostly because the curriculum made me feel inferior to my mentor. Imarisha is different, I like that the curriculum is focused on relationship building as the first point of contact. Both the mentor and mentee are given the space and guidelines to build a symbiotic relationship that is mutually beneficial.

The curriculum is very well thought through.

Funded by the Argidius Foundation, the Imarisha Mentoring Program is Mowgli’s first entrepreneur mentoring program in Kenya, and the third in sub-Saharan Africa. The program is supporting entrepreneurs from 3 of the biggest cities in Kenya, Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa, to scale their businesses with the guidance of more experienced professionals and business leaders within their communities.