I was 14 years old inside of a bowling alley, burglarizing an arcade game, and upon exiting the building a security guard grabbed my arm, so I ran. I ran down the street, and I jumped on top of a fence. And when I got to the top, the weight of 3,000 quarters in my book bag pulled me back down to the ground. So when I came to, the security guard was standing on top of me, and he said, "Next time you little punks steal something you can carry."
Nilikuwa na umri wa miaka 14 nikiwa kwenye jumba la michezo, nikiiba kwenye mashine ya mchezo, na nilipokuwa nikitoka nje ya jengo mlinzi alikamata mkono wangu, hivyo nikakimbia. Nilikimbilia mtaani, na nikaruka juu ya uzio. Na nilipofika juu, uzito wa sarafu 3,000 kwenye mkoba wangu ulinielemea na kunivuta chini. Niliponyanyuka, mlinzi alikuwa amesima juu yangu, na akasema, "Siku nyingine nyinyi vibaka, ibeni vitu mnavyoweza kubeba."
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
I was taken to juvenile hall and when I was released into the custody of my mother, the first words my uncle said was, "How'd you get caught?" I said, "Man, the book bag was too heavy." He said, "Man, you weren't supposed to take all the quarters." I said, "Man, they were small. What am I supposed to do?" And 10 minutes later, he took me to burglarize another arcade game. We needed gas money to get home. That was my life.
Nilipelekwa kwenye mahabusu ya watoto na nilipoachiliwa chini ya dhamana ya mama yangu, maneno ya kwanza mjomba wangu alisema yalikuwa, "Ulikamatwaje?" Nikasema, "Mzee, mkoba ulikuwa mzito sana." Akasema, "Mzee, hukutakiwa kuchukua sarafu zote." Nikasema, "Mzee, zilikuwa ndogo. Ningefanyaje?" na dakika 10 baadaye, alinipeleka kuiba kwenye mashine nyingine ya mchezo. Tulihitaji pesa ya petroli kufika maskani. Hayo ndiyo yalikuwa maisha yangu.
I grew up in Oakland, California, with my mother and members of my immediate family addicted to crack cocaine. My environment consisted of living with family, friends, and homeless shelters. Oftentimes, dinner was served in breadlines and soup kitchens. The big homey told me this: money rules the world and everything in it. And in these streets, money is king. And if you follow the money, it'll lead you to the bad guy or the good guy.
Nimekulia Oakland, Kalifornia, na mama yangu na ndugu wa karibu wa familia walevi wa madawa ya kulevya ya kokeini . Mazingira yangu yalijumuisha kuishi na familia, marafiki, na makazi kwa wasio-na-makazi. Mara nyingi, mlo wa jioni tuliupata kwenye foleni za vyakula vya msaada. Mjomba aliniambia hivi: pesa inatawala dunia na kila kitu ndani yake. Na katika hii mitaa, pesa ni Mfalme. Na ikiwa utafuata pesa, itakupeleka kwa mtu mbaya au mtu mzuri.
Soon after, I committed my first crime, and it was the first time that I was told that I had potential and felt like somebody believed in me. Nobody ever told me that I could be a lawyer, doctor or engineer. I mean, how was I supposed to do that? I couldn't read, write or spell. I was illiterate. So I always thought crime was my way to go.
Baadaye kidogo, nilifanya uhalifu wangu wa kwanza, na ndiyo mara ya kwanza nilipoambiwa kuwa nina kipaji na nikajisikia kuwa kuna mtu ananiaminia. Hakuna aliyewahi-niambia kuwa ningeweza kuwa mwanasheria, daktari au mhandisi. Yaani, ningewezaje kufanya hivyo? Sikuweza kusoma, kuandika wala kutahajia. Sikuwa mtu aliyesoma. Kwahiyo, mara zote nilifikiri uhalifu ndio njia ya kwenda.
And then one day I was talking to somebody and he was telling me about this robbery that we could do. And we did it.
Na kisha siku moja Nilikuwa naongea na mtu na alikuwa ananiambia juu ya huu wizi ambao tungeweza fanya. Na tukaufanya.
The reality was that I was growing up in the strongest financial nation in the world, the United States of America, while I watched my mother stand in line at a blood bank to sell her blood for 40 dollars just to try to feed her kids. She still has the needle marks on her arms to day to show for that.
Ukweli ni kwamba nilikuwa nakulia kwenye nchi yenye uwezo mkubwa wa kifedha duniani, Marekani, huku nikiangalia mama yangu, akisimama kwenye foleni ya benki ya damu kuuza damu yake kwa Dola 40 kujaribu tu kulisha wanae. Bado ana alama za sindano mikononi mwake leo kudhihirisha hilo.
So I never cared about my community. They didn't care about my life. Everybody there was doing what they were doing to take what they wanted, the drug dealers, the robbers, the blood bank. Everybody was taking blood money. So I got mine by any means necessary. I got mine. Financial literacy really did rule the world, and I was a child slave to it following the bad guy.
Kwa hiyo sikuijali jumuiya yangu, Hawakujali maisha yangu. Kila mtu pale alifanya anachotaka fanya kupata alichotaka, wauza mihadarati, wezi, benki ya damu. Kila mtu alichukua fedha ya damu. Hivyo nilipata yangu kwa njia yoyote ile. Nilipata yangu. Elimu ya fedha kweli ilitawala dunia, na nilikuwa mtoto mtumwa kwake nikifuata mtu mbaya.
At 17 years old, I was arrested for robbery and murder and I soon learned that finances in prison rule more than they did on the streets, so I wanted in. One day, I rushed to grab the sports page of the newspaper so my cellie could read it to me, and I accidentally picked up the business section. And this old man said, "Hey youngster, you pick stocks?" And I said, "What's that?" He said, "That's the place where white folks keep all their money."
Nikiwa na miaka 17, nilikamatwa kwa wizi na mauaji na punde nikajifunza kuwa fedha jela zinatawala zaidi ya zilivyo mitaani, Hivyo nilitaka kuingia. Siku moja, nilikurupuka kushika ukurasa wa michezo katika gazeti ili mfungwa mwenzangu anisomee, na kwa bahati mbaya nikachukua sehemu ya biashara. Na huyu mzee akasema, "Hey, kijana, umechukua hisa?" Na nikasema, "Ndio nini hicho?" Akasema, "Hiyo ndiyo sehemu ambayo watu weupe huweka pesa yao yote."
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
And it was the first time that I saw a glimpse of hope, a future. He gave me this brief description of what stocks were, but it was just a glimpse. I mean, how was I supposed to do it? I couldn't read, write or spell. The skills that I had developed to hide my illiteracy no longer worked in this environment. I was trapped in a cage, prey among predators, fighting for freedom I never had. I was lost, tired, and I was out of options.
Na ilikuwa ndiyo mara ya kwanza nilipata ono fupi la tumaini, siku za baadaye. Alinipa maelezo mafupi ya hisa zilikuwa ni nini, lakini ilikuwa ni muhtasari tu. Yaani, ningewezaje kuifanya? Sikuweza kusoma, kuandika wala kutahajia. Ujuzi niliokuwa nimeukuza kuficha kutokusoma kwangu haukufanya kazi tena katika mazingira haya. Nilikuwa nimenaswa kwenye kizimba mateka kati ya watekaji, nikipigania uhuru ambao sijawahi kuwa nao. Nilikuwa nimepotea, nimechoka, na sikuwa na machaguzi.
So at 20 years old, I did the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. I picked up a book, and it was the most agonizing time of my life, trying to learn how to read, the ostracizing from my family, the homeys. It was rough, man. It was a struggle. But little did I know I was receiving the greatest gifts I had ever dreamed of: self-worth, knowledge, discipline. I was so excited to be reading that I read everything I could get my hands on: candy wrappers, clothing logos, street signs, everything. I was just reading stuff!
Kwa hiyo nikiwa na miaka 20, nilifanya kitu kigumu kuliko vyote nilivyowahi kufanya maishani mwangu. Nilichukua kitabu, na ilikuwa ni kipindi kigumu sana maishani mwangu. kujaribu kujifunza jinsi ya kusoma, kutengana na familia yangu, na rafiki zangu. Ilikuwa shida, mzee. Ilikuwa ni mahangaiko. Lakini sikufahamu japo kidogo kuwa nilikuwa napata zawadi kubwa kuliko zote nilizowahi kuziota, kujithamini, maarifa, nidhamu. Nilisisimka mno kusoma, kiasi kwamba nilisoma kila kitu nilichokitia mkononi: makaratasi ya pipi, nembo za nguo, alama za barabarani, kila kitu. Nilikuwa nikisoma tu vitu!
(Applause)
(Makofi na Vifijo)
Just reading stuff. I was so excited to know how to read and know how to spell. The homey came up, said, "Man, what you eating?" I said, "C-A-N-D-Y, candy."
kusoma tu vitu. Nilisisimka sana kujua jinsi ya kusoma na kujua jinsi ya kutahajia. Rafiki alikuja, akaniuliza, "Mzee, unakula nini?" Nikasema, "P-I-P-I, pipi."
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
He said, "Let me get some." I said, "N-O. No."
Akasema, "Nipe kidogo." Nikasema, "L-A. La."
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
It was awesome. I mean, I can actually now for the first time in my life read. The feeling that I got from it was amazing.
Ilikuwa babukubwa. Yaani, sasa naweza, kwa mara ya kwanza katika maisha yangu, kusoma. Hisia niliyoipata, ni ya kustaajabu sana.
And then at 22, feeling myself, feeling confident, I remembered what the OG told me. So I picked up the business section of the newspaper. I wanted to find these rich white folks.
Kisha, nikiwa na miaka 22, nikijisikia mwenyewe, nikijiamini, Nilikumbuka kile yule mzee aliniambia. Kwa hiyo nilichukua kurasa za biashara za gazeti. Nilitaka kuwatafuta hawa matajiri weupe.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
So I looked for that glimpse. As I furthered my career in teaching others how to financially manage money and invest, I soon learned that I had to take responsibility for my own actions. True, I grew up in a very complex environment, but I chose to commit crimes, and I had to own up to that. I had to take responsibility for that, and I did. I was building a curriculum that could teach incarcerated men how to manage money through prison employments. Properly managing our lifestyle would provide transferrable tools that we can use to manage money when we reenter society, like the majority of people did who didn't commit crimes. Then I discovered that according to MarketWatch, over 60 percent of the American population has under 1,000 dollars in savings. Sports Illustrated said that over 60 percent of NBA players and NFL players go broke. 40 percent of marital problems derive from financial issues. What the hell?
Kwa hiyo nilitafuta ule muhtasari. Nilipokuwa nikijiendeleza kikazi nikifundisha wengine namna ya kusimamia fedha na kuwekeza, punde nikajifunza kuwa nilihitaji kuwajibika kwa matendo yangu. Kweli, nilikulia kwenye mazingira tata sana, lakini nilichagua kufanya uhalifu, na nilipaswa kukiri hilo. Nilipaswa kuwajibika kwa hilo, na nilifanya hivyo. Nilikuwa nikiunda mtaala ambao ungeweza kuwafundisha wafungwa namna ya kusimamia fedha kupitia ajira za gerezani. Kutiisha mtindo wetu wa maisha kungeweza kutoa zana zihamishikazo ambazo tunaweza kuzitumia kusimamia fedha tunapoirudi kwenye jamii, kama watu wengi walivyofanya ambao hawakufanya uhalifu. Kisha niligundua kulingana takwimu ya MarketWatch, zaidi ya asilimia 60 ya wakazi wa Marekani wana chini ya Dola 1,000 katika akiba. Michezo ilielezea kwamba zaidi ya asilimia 60 ya wachezaji wa NBA na wachezaji wa NFL hufilisika. Asilimia 40 ya matatizo ya ndoa hutokana na masuala ya kifedha. Balaa gani?
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
You mean to tell me that people worked their whole lives, buying cars, clothes, homes and material stuff but were living check to check? How in the world were members of society going to help incarcerated individuals back into society if they couldn't manage they own stuff? We screwed.
Unataka kuniambia, watu wamefanya kazi maisha yao yote, wakinunua magari, nguo, nyumba na vitu mbalimbali lakini walikuwa waliishi hundi kwa hundi? Ni namna gani duniani wanajamii wangekwenda kuwasaidia wafungwa kurudi kwenye jamii ikiwa hawakuweza kusimamia mambo yao wenyewe? Tumevurugwa.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
I needed a better plan. This is not going to work out too well. So ... I thought. I now had an obligation to meet those on the path and help, and it was crazy because I now cared about my community. Wow, imagine that. I cared about my community.
Nahitaji mpango mzuri zaidi. Hii haitakwenda kufanya kazi vizuri. Hivyo ... Nilifikiria. Sasa nilikuwa na wajibu kukutana na wale waliokuwa kwenye mkondo huo na kuwasaidia, na ilikuwa ni ajabu sababu sasa nilijali jumuiya yangu Lo, hebu fikiria. Nilijali kuhusu jumuiya yangu.
Financial illiteracy is a disease that has crippled minorities and the lower class in our society for generations and generations, and we should be furious about that. Ask yourselves this: How can 50 percent of the American population be financially illiterate in a nation driven by financial prosperity? Our access to justice, our social status, living conditions, transportation and food are all dependent on money that most people can't manage. It's crazy! It's an epidemic and a bigger danger to public safety than any other issue.
Ujinga juu ya Fedha ni ugonjwa ambao umedhohofisha wachache na walio chini katika jamii yetu kwa vizazi na vizazi, na tunapaswa kukasirika juu ya hilo. Ebu jiulize: Inawezekanaje asilimia 50 ya wakazi wa Marekani wasiwe na elimu ya fedha katika nchi inayoendeshwa kwa ustawi wa kifedha? Kupatikana kwa haki kwetu, hadhi yetu ya kijamii, hali ya maisha, usafirishaji na chakula vyote vinategemea fedha ambayo watu wengi hawawezi kuisimamia. Ni ajabu! Ni janga na hatari kubwa kwa usalama wa umma kuliko suala jingine lolote.
According to the California Department of Corrections, over 70 percent of those incarcerated have committed or have been charged with money-related crimes: robberies, burglaries, fraud, larceny, extortion -- and the list goes on. Check this out: a typical incarcerated person would enter the California prison system with no financial education, earn 30 cents an hour, over 800 dollars a year, with no real expenses and save no money. Upon his parole, he will be given 200 dollars gate money and told, "Hey, good luck, stay out of trouble. Don't come back to prison." With no meaningful preparation or long-term financial plan, what does he do ... ? At 60? Get a good job, or go back to the very criminal behavior that led him to prison in the first place? You taxpayers, you choose. Well, his education already chose for him, probably.
Kadiri ya Kitengo cha Urekebishaji cha Kalifornia, zaidi ya asilimia 70 ya wale waliofungwa wamefanya au wameshtakiwa kwa uhalifu uhusianao na fedha: wizi wa kutumia nguvu, kuvunja nyumba, kutapeli, uporaji, ghusubu -- na orodha inaendelea. Angalia hii: Mfungwa wa kawaida huingia katika mfumo wa gereza wa Kalifornia pasipo kuwa na elimu ya fedha, hupata ujira wa senti 30 kwa saa, zaidi ya Dola 800 kwa mwaka, bila ya kuwa na matumizi yoyote na kuweka akiba yoyote. Anapopewa msamaha, hupewa dola 200 pesa ya geti na kuambiwa, "Wee, mafanikio mema, kaa mbali na matatizo. Usirudi gerezani tena." Bila kuwa na maandalizi yoyote ya maana au mpango fedha wa muda mrefu, anafanyaje ...? Akiwa na miaka 60? Apate kazi nzuri, au arudi kwenye tabia ile ile ya uhalifu iliyompeleka gerezani kwanza? Nyinyi walipakodi, chagueni wenyewe. Hakika, elimu yake imeshamchagulia, pengine.
So how do we cure this disease? I cofounded a program that we call Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy. We call it FEEL, and it teaches how do you separate your emotional decisions from your financial decisions, and the four timeless rules to personal finance: the proper way to save, control your cost of living, borrow money effectively and diversify your finances by allowing your money to work for you instead of you working for it. Incarcerated people need these life skills before we reenter society. You can't have full rehabilitation without these life skills. This idea that only professionals can invest and manage money is absolutely ridiculous, and whoever told you that is lying.
Kwa hiyo, tunatibuje ugonjwa huu? Nilishiriki kuanzisha programu tuliyoiita Elimu Hisia ya Uwezeshaji wa Kifedha tunaiita FEEL na inafundisha namna ya kutenganisha maamuzi ya kihisia na maamuzi ya kifedha, na sheria 4 aushi za utawala fedha binafsi: njia sahihi ya kuweka akiba, kudhibiti gharama zako za maisha, kukopa fedha kwenye ufanisi kutawanya fedha yako kuruhusu fedha yako ikufanyie kazi badala ya wewe kuifanyia kazi. Wafungwa wanahitaji ujuzi huu kabla ya kuingia tena kwenye jamii. Hatuwezi kubadilika kuwa na maisha ya kawaida bila ujuzi huu wa maisha. Hii dhana kuwa ni Weledi tu wanaweza kuwekeza na kusimamia fedha ni ya fedheha kabisa, na yeyote aliyewaambia hivyo anadanganya.
(Applause)
(Makofi na Vifijo)
A professional is a person who knows his craft better than most, and nobody knows how much money you need, have or want better than you, which means you are the professional. Financial literacy is not a skill, ladies and gentlemen. It's a lifestyle. Financial stability is a byproduct of a proper lifestyle. A financially sound incarcerated person can become a taxpaying citizen, and a financially sound taxpaying citizen can remain one. This allows us to create a bridge between those people who we influence: family, friends and those young people who still believe that crime and money are related. So let's lose the fear and anxiety of all the big financial words and all that other nonsense that you've been out there hearing. And let's get to the heart of what's been crippling our society from taking care of your responsibility to be better life managers. And let's provide a simple and easy to use curriculum that gets to the heart, the heart of what financial empowerment and emotional literacy really is.
Mweledi ni mtu anayejua kazi zake kuliko walio wengi, na hakuna mtu ajuaye kiasi gani cha fedha wahitaji, unacho, au wataka zaidi ya wewe, ikimaanisha kuwa wewe ni mweledi. Elimu ya fedha siyo stadi, mabibi na mabwana. Ni mtindo wa maisha. Uimara wa kifedha ni matokeo ya ziada ya mtindo sahihi wa maisha. Mfungwa mwenye elimu nzuri ya kifedha anaweza kuwa mwananchi mlipakodi, na mwananchi mlipakodi mwenye elimu nzuri ya kifedha anaweza kubaki hivyo. Hii inatuwezesha kuunda daraja kati ya wale watu tunaowashawishi: familia, marafiki na wale vijana ambao bado wanaamini kuwa uhalifu na pesa vina uhusiano. Kwa hiyo tupoteze uwoga na wasiwasi wa maneno makubwa ya kifedha na ujinga mwingine wote ambao mmekuwa mkisikia huko nje. Na tujikite kwenye kiini kilichokuwa kinadhoofisha jamii yetu kuanzia kutimiza wajibu wako la kuwa meneja mzuri wa maisha. Na tutoe mtaala mwepesi na rahisi kutumia ambao utaingia kwenye kiini, kiini cha ni nini ukweli wa uwezeshaji wa kifedha na elimu ya hisia.
Now, if you're sitting out here in the audience and you said, "Oh yeah, well, that ain't me and I don't buy it," then come take my class --
Sasa, ikiwa umekaa hapa kwa wasikilizaji na umesema, "Ndiyo, kweli, hiyo si mimi na sikubaliani nayo," basi njoo uchukue somo langu --
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
so I can show you how much money it costs you every time you get emotional.
ili nikuoneshe ni kiasi gani cha pesa inakugharimu kila unaposhikwa na hisia.
(Applause)
(Makofi na Vifijo)
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Asanteni sana. Asanteni.
(Applause)
(Makofi na Vifijo)