Growing up in Nairobi South B’s Mukuru Slum presented a myriad of challenges for a young Paul Were including but not limited to crime and drug and substance abuse.Many in his generation succumbed to the pressures of life, gave in to crime, drugs, and other things, but he made it through football. football was his guiding light.However, it would not have been the case perhaps were it not for the presence of one man, Adam Masava.Masava is the elder brother of another Kenyan international Patrick Oboya whom Were grew up with.##NAJAVA_MECA_7347262##Speaking during an interview on One on One, Were spoke highly of Masava, outlining the impact he had on his career.”If there is a guy to whom I owe my success, then it is Oboya’s brother Adam Masava. He is the guy that made me to be where I am. When we were young, I remember there was a time during Mickey Weche’s U12 tournament when my mom did not want me to go. However, he came home, talked to my mother and we walked all the way to Makadara and I emerged the best player then,” the 29-old said.Then, Masava was an artist and still runs an art studio in South B as a way to tap into the talent of young people and impact his immediate community.Were revealed that Masava formed a team made up of ghetto kids in an attempt to help them stay away from crime and drugs.The playmaker: Tactical Analysis of Muchiri’s season at Ulinzi Stars”He formed a team called Young Spiders for us while we were growing up in the ghetto and helped us avoid things such as crime and drugs. He was an artist and still is one and wanted to show us that one can achieve things in life without going through the crooked ways,” he added.Were started out at the famed South B-based FISA Academy before moving to Mathare Youth. His star shone at Tusker FC but he later joined AFC Leopards before venturing outside the Kenyan boarders by joining Amazulu in South Africa. He would later play for several clubs in Greece and Kazakhstan.Upon returning from Europe, were joined South B All-Stars after a move to Kenya Police failed to materialize before joining Rwanda’s Rayon Sports in August last year where he spent one season.
