As the External Editor of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), Samuel Gacharira’s story leaves many wondering whether we all truly have the same 24 hours in a day. Not because of the element of time itself, but because of how much some individuals manage to accomplish within those limited hours. Balancing responsibilities, commitments, ambitions, and personal growth poses a challenge for most people, with some even giving up along the way. Yet people like Samuel make it look effortless through sheer discipline and determination.

His story dates back to when he was eight years old and living in Githurai. A young Samuel developed a deep love for volleyball, and this passion led him to become an avid player during his high school years at Starehe Boys Centre, between 2008 and 2011. He was not just an ordinary player of the sport but an exceptional one. He dominated the court in ways that only raw talent and skill could explain.

His brilliance on the court caught the attention of Josp Baraza, a volleyball coach at Strathmore University. During his final year of high school, Samuel was offered a full scholarship to attend the institution for his undergraduate studies. It was a remarkable and exciting opportunity, and he did not waste a second in accepting the offer. While the scholarship was originally intended for him to pursue a BBIT degree, his exemplary performance in the national examinations enabled him to enroll in a different programme: a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science.

But, as with every new journey in life, challenges were inevitable, and Samuel’s experience was no exception. He now had to find a way to balance his academics, sports, and the demands of university life, particularly as a student-athlete. He also had to raise funds to cover his day-to-day living expenses. This compelled him to search for opportunities that could help bridge this newly realised gap in his student life.

During his second year, Mrs. Maureen Mhando, a guest lecturer, helped him see a way to fill that gap by introducing him to a new interest. When she spoke in one of his communication classes, she left a lasting impression on him. It was through this interaction that Samuel discovered and polished his writing skills, little knowing that his entire sports journalism career path would emerge from that very moment.

Inspired by her words and approach, he pursued this path further and managed to maintain contact with Maureen beyond the classroom. He began practicing article writing in the sports genre and frequently visited her office, seeking advice on refining his feature-writing skills to appeal to his target audience and make his work stand out.

Samuel recalls one particular moment vividly. “One day, I went to her office as usual, seeking advice on how I could improve my writing. She told me to look outside her window and write a two-page story about what I could see. But this puzzled me because nothing particularly interesting was happening outside her window. All one could see was the sky and the surrounding buildings, nothing peculiar at all. At one point, I even thought she was joking.

“But what she said next intrigued me and has stayed with me to this day. She told me that when it comes to writing, you do not simply write about what you observe in plain sight or what everyone else sees. Your senses should guide you. What do you smell? What do you hear? What do you see? How does it make you feel? Those are the elements that bring a good story to life.”

Samuel Gacharira poses with his certificate after successfully completing the Executive Programme in Commercial Direction and Sports Sponsorship Strategies at the FC Barcelona Graduate School

As time went by, his writing skills steadily improved, and he began writing sports-related articles for various websites between 2015 and 2017. His journey started at Soka25east.com under Collins Okinyo before moving to Futaa.com on the recommendation of Jeff Kinyanjui and Dan Ngulu. During his time at Futaa.com, he was required to write and produce between 15 and 20 articles a day while serving a three-month probation period, a task Wilson Mathu, the then Futaa Editor, thought was next to impossible to achieve.

This became a significant hurdle to navigate, given his already packed schedule at Strathmore. He had to keep up with his coursework, attend classes, and regularly participate in volleyball training sessions, all while fulfilling the demanding obligations of this new opportunity.

Desperate to make it all work, Samuel devised a routine. He would wake up as early as 2 a.m. to write articles before his day officially began. By 6:30 a.m., he would prepare for lectures, and whenever he found a short break in his schedule, he would squeeze in another two articles. As an intern, he earned KSh 5,000 per month, which was enough to sustain him while he pursued his degree.

Eventually, in 2017, Samuel graduated from Strathmore University with a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science. For him, the degree felt less like a routine milestone and more like proof of his hard work and dedication throughout those challenging university years.

As the months passed, Samuel’s role grew well beyond his originally designated duties at Soka.co.ke, which he joined after leaving Futaa.com. Samuel is quick to point out that he never settled for “basic work.” For every article he submitted, he went the extra mile by digging deeper for sources, strengthening his storytelling, and revising each piece until it met his own high standards.

After seven months at Soka, Samuel was approached by Mathare United FC CEO, Jecton Obure, to join the club as the Media Liaison Officer. This opportunity arrived at a transformative moment in Kenyan sports. Clubs were beginning to take media and communications seriously and were hiring dedicated journalists to shape their public voice, digital presence, and storytelling. Samuel was among the early pioneers helping define this shift in how football clubs approached communications.

While at Mathare United, he once again delivered outstanding results. In 2018, the club’s website was recognized as the best-run website in its category during a La Liga workshop held in Nairobi, praised not only for the quality of its content but also for its structure and delegation framework. This achievement further cemented his growing reputation in sports journalism.

As his profile continued to rise, Samuel felt it was time to expand his reach and take the next step in his career. He reached out to a friend, Japheth Mutinda, working at Nation Media Group, to explore opportunities, signaling his ambition to move from club media management into a larger national newsroom environment.

At the same time, he was determined to formalise and deepen his craft, so he enrolled at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) for a Postgraduate diploma in Journalism and Mass Communications.

This advancement in his education gave him the confidence to approach his boss at Mathare United, Chairman Bob Munro, and successfully negotiate a salary increment, a well-deserved validation of how far he had come. But then came a bittersweet plot twist. Nation Media Group offered Samuel a six-month unpaid internship, an incredible opportunity for growth. However, he now had to walk away from a paying role he had just fought to improve. It was a difficult dilemma that had to be resolved within a short period.

Most people would have turned it down, considering Nation was offering only a quarter of the new salary he had negotiated with Mathare United. But Samuel chose the long game. He informed his employer immediately, expressed his gratitude openly, arranged a complete handover by training the person who would take over his responsibilities during his off days, and left on excellent terms. He was determined to invest in his future, even if it meant making a short-term sacrifice.

What started as an unpaid internship quickly turned into a full-time position as a Sports Sub-Editor at Nation Media Group’s Sports Desk. Even then, Samuel never limited himself to the job description. He was hired to edit, but he regularly travelled to match venues, reported from the field, and pursued original stories. His dedication impressed his supervisors so much that he began receiving international assignments.

In January 2020, he traveled to Cameroon to cover Kenya’s women’s national volleyball team, Malkia Strikers’, historic Olympic qualification after a 16-year absence from the Games. The story was featured on the front page of the Nation newspaper, further elevating his reputation in the sports journalism industry.

And the most beautiful, full-circle twist of all came at the exact moment he was travelling to cover Malkia Strikers at the 2022 FIVB World Championship in the Netherlands. During the FIVB World Congress in the Netherlands, Samuel had the opportunity to interview the then FIVB President, Dr. Ary Graça, and engage with members of the FIVB team. The professionalism he demonstrated during these interactions led to his appointment as an editor within the FIVB external editorial team.

Beyond his sports journalism career, Samuel gave back to volleyball by volunteering as a coach at Githurai Kimbo Volleyball Academy. When the FIVB Volleyball Foundation was launched, Githurai Kimbo Volleyball Academy was selected as one of its pilot projects, reflecting its commitment to using volleyball as a tool for social development. Through his role at the academy, Samuel contributed to the early implementation of the Foundation’s initiatives and supported the development of community-based volleyball programmes.

Today, the Volleyball Foundation supports more than 250 boys and girls from Githurai through education scholarships, donation of volleyball equipment, the organization of training camps and capacity building initiatives for coaches and volunteers. Githurai Kimbo Academy is a beacon of hope for hundreds of children who started exactly where Samuel once stood as a young boy.

Alongside the Githurai Kimbo Academy project, Samuel continues to work with the FIVB as an external editor to date. It’s through this role that he was also able to save religiously and pursue his long-held academic goal: an MBA in Sports Management at the Universidad Europea, Real Madrid’s Graduate School, graduating in 2024 at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. This year, he has gone a step further in his transition to sports administration after completing the Executive Programme in Commercial Management and Sports Sponsorship Strategies at the Barça Innovation Hub, FC Barcelona’s Graduate School.

Today, Samuel moves in global sporting circles that most sports journalists can only dream of. Yet his story has never been one of luck. It is proof of what is possible when determination meets opportunity. Most people would look at a 2 a.m. wake-up call, an internship, and a schedule that would overwhelm the average person and conclude that it cannot be done. But Samuel simply got up and did it.

Article written by Natalia Buhasio