Our donors and supporters are at the heart of every experience at Getaway Growth. From showing up to our community events to making international travel accessible for deserving students. Our donors and supporters make Getaway Growth possible. Now, we want to tell their stories – stories of their own travel, transformation through travel, and love for the human kind.

Today, we share the story of Festo Akida, who was raised in Nairobi and had the opportunity to travel and live in China for 7 years. We’re so grateful for Festo’s generosity and the wisdom he imparts with us today.

Tell us More About Yourself

I’m Festo, born and raised in Nairobi. After high school I got a chance to study in China where I lived for 7-years and had amazing, jaw dropping and challenging experiences that’s molded me into who I am today. Currently living in Los Angeles where I’m looking to get certified and work in Architecture and Interior Design.

How has travel impacted your life?

The first time I traveled, in my opinion, wasn’t when I got on a plane and flew thousands of miles away from home. It is when I traveled for the first time, alone. Destination was Hong Kong, where I wondered the city by myself for 5 days.

I heard recently in a show, “if you’re gonna spend time alone, you better like yourself.” The trip was humbling and way out of my comfort zone and the interesting thing is that’s I did not feel the full joy of it until I was back home. Since then, I’ve been challenging myself to do something once a year and last year I camped solo for two days.

Beyond this trip, traveling has made me seek authenticity in life. Contrary to how I wanted to live my life before I ever moved abroad, I’ve learned material things do not bring long term happiness. People do. Surround yourself with good people.

Why did you choose to support Getaway Growth?

Having lived in three continents, the common factor in finding happiness that I’ve found is community. It’s all about people and I see that in the mission of Getaway Growth to connect young people from around the world. I support Getaway Growth because they are interested in uplifting the youth and inspire innovation through their programs.