A large chunk of slum dwellers either by design or those boxed therein by dry purses strain daily to put three meals on the table. Affording all the basic needs is mirage. The ensuing struggle just to survive has led many into life of crime as it offers a dangerous but ‘easy’ route to making quick money to help navigate life’s travails. That path has sent many to early graves. Fortunately, the slums are littered with talented and brilliant young turks who have proved that with proper guidance and support, kids born and raised there have a chance to scale to stardom. Celebrated American author Tony Robbins in one of his rich collections said “Determination and persistence are melded together. Their basis comes from people who stay hungry and don’t allow themselves to get too comfortable,”.Deep inside the squalid and poorly lit streets of Kibera Slums, Erick Omondi shunned the crime way as he was determined to pull out of one of the largest slum in the continent through education and football.Omondi who was raised in Katwekera in Kibera, is a living testament to the extract by the author-cum philanthropist as his sheer resolve to ditch slum life for a comfortable one rewarded him with professional football despite not being revered locally.The defensive midfielder who currently plies his trade with Polish side Ruch Chorzow is among the hundreds of youth whose God-given football talent has lifted them and their families from the jaws of poverty to a dignified lifestyle. “I was born in Siaya but grew up in Kibera, Katwekera area to be precise. Life back there was tough but I was hungry to make it out through football. Thankfully, my talent earned me a move abroad when I was young and I am happy that my story changed through football, ” he said. Omondi fell in love with football, the prominent discipline in Kibera when he was a kid and would begin polishing his skills in the dusty streets as the few available pitches were preserved for his seniors. His affinity for the game would not be halted by the stiff competition for the opportunity to play in school games as he says he was a first-team player in the Ayany Primary School team that is famed for producing football stars. The player who can also be deployed as a central attacking midfielder would work his way to the then dreaded Olympic Secondary School team that terrorized opponents in the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) a few years ago. While featuring in high school games, Omondi fine-tune his skills at Kibera Celtic, a club he began training with back in 2008 during the weekends and in the evening.It is common for outstanding players in the school games to get approached by clubs from all tiers and Omond’s case was not different as he says he had a handful of offers on his table after writing his final exams.However, the player nicknamed Dade was determined to further his studies as he joined the Goethe Institute to learn German language at the same time continued shaping his talent at Celtic.The player switched to Kenyatta Hospital FC in 2015 in order to concentrate on his studies and would later join Jacaranda FC the following year.Little did the national U17 trialist know that the flair he had depicted in training and on match days was under the radar of scouts who have been shipping out players from the slum with the destination being the United States of America for scholarships or the Scandinavian countries.Omondi was lucky to be signed by an agency owned by Dennis Schilp, a UEFA licensed agent who secured him a deal a try his luck in Germany.“My love for football began in Kibera when I was a kid. I was a regular player both in the primary and secondary school teams. While in school, I also featured for Kibera Celtic, a club that developed me. While playing for Jacaranda, I was approached by Schilp who took me to Germany for trials,” he said.Omondi recounts the rocky start of life in Germany with the utter satisfaction that he eventually made cut his teeth into professional football after failing in his first attempt.He revealed that Schilp secured an opportunity to try his luck with Schalke 04 ll in 2016 but failed to impress and elected to return home. He did last long home as he returned to Germany owing to his rich grasp of their language and culture as he also sought to find his footing in football again.With the responsibility of fending for his family squarely on his shoulders, the burly player admits that he nearly sunk into depression after failing to get a club abroad and even contemplating quitting.The struggle to get a new club came to an end in late 2016 when he signed for Romanian side FC Uta Arad, marking an end to his wait to make his debut abroad. Omondi switched clubs in Romania the following year after landing a lucrative offer with Sebis FC whom he remained in their books for a couple of months.Having made his first stop in Germany after leaving Kenya in 2016, Omondi who considers former Dutchman Mark Van Bommel as his role model returned late in 2017 where he penned a deal with SC Staaken.Just when he had begun to flourish in Germany, his grandmother passed on and had to seek compassionate leave which he regrets took long forcing the club to terminate his contract six months after joining.His strong roots in Germany held him until when Paul Stanglet literally dragged him to Poland where he penned a deal with Chorzow at the start of the year.“I have had a rollercoaster stay in Europe but I can’t complain. The start was really tough but I am glad that I managed to fulfil my long term dream of making a career out of football. Age is still on my side and I believe I will get better and stay longer here. Throughout the years I have been in Europe, I have helped a number of players get clubs here and I am open to helping many more,” he said.Omondi highlights missing out on the opportunity to don the national team colours as his big regret in football but he believes that the door is still open.”There was a time I was called to the U17 team under coach Dennis Karani and Bobby Ogolla but I was unfortunately dropped,” he disclosed. BioName- Erick Omondi MoloNickname-DadeDate of birth-10/12/1997Ayany Primary schoolOlympic Secondary School Goethe CollegeFavourite Meal-BroccoliBest EPL Team-Manchester CityRole Model-Xavi Hernandes and Mark Van BommelWeight 72kgsHeight-5.3 ftClubs played for:Kibera Celtic from 2008Kenyatta hospital-2015Jacaranda FC-2016FC Uta Arad, Romania 2016Sebis FC, Romania 2017SC Staaken, Germany 2017-2018Ruch Chorzow-Poland-2021
