From Africa to Illinois

Illinois' Yawusa Kinda competes in 400 Meter Dash at the Illini Invite at the UI Track Stadium on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
Ned Mulka The Daily Illini

A clear day, good running shoes and an agile pair of legs. The recipe to a good run may be rather simple, but for two students, running talent has made a world of difference. Gakologelwang “Shoes” Masheto and Yawusa Kinda from Botswana and Ethiopia, respectively, never expected to be seeking a quality education at the University of Illinois, but nevertheless, became roommates and will graduate this year.

“My dad would ask what I wanted to do when I grew up. I used to say I wanted to be a teacher or pilot or something, but I always knew I wanted to go study somewhere else,” said Kinda, who is majoring in sociology in the College of LAS. “Growing up in Ethiopia, I always thought about going somewhere else, because the school system is just not good. I wanted to travel.”

Kinda said that he originally moved to Des Moines, Iowa to live with his aunt and uncle and went to community college in Kansas City, KS, but was able to transfer to the University in the spring of 2008.

“The first two years were hard. I kept saying ‘I just want to go back,’ but my dad said ‘No, you’re strong, you have to stay,” Kinda said. “Then I went to Kansas and things started changing with college life. I joined a global peace student organization, and we raised money for refugees in underdeveloped countries.”

Kinda said that being involved in cross country and track in high school and college helped distract him from thinking about how much he missed his parents, who he has not seen in eight years. Even though he left the University track team to focus on academics, he still plays soccer on a team in the summer with his cousins and other East Africans.

Illinois' Gakologelwang Masheto competes in 400 Meter Dash at the Illini Invite at the UI Track Stadium on Saturday, May 2, 2009. Masheto finished second in the event with a NCAA Regionals qualifying time of 46.76 seconds.
Wesley Fane The Daily Illini

Masheto also found his athletic abilities playing an important role in his life.

“In 2006, I met the head track coach for the University, Wayne Angel, and he asked if I wanted to study at the University of Illinois,” said Masheto, a kinesiology major in AHS. “My family was hesitant for me to come here because they were afraid it wasn’t safe, but I said I wanted to get a good education and they ended up agreeing.”

Masheto also was able to represent Botswana in the 2008 Beijing Olympics , running in the 400 meter dash.

“It was a good experience, just to be present there with those big stars,” Masheto said. “Just being able to see them in person was just a great thing.”

He also plans on training for the African Championship of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport competition between numerous countries held every four years.

Even with their busy lives here, home is never forgotten. Both Masheto and Kinda said that they especially miss the food and just being home.

“I miss the open land. I grew up on a farm, so it was totally different,” Kinda said. “Everybody there gets along. America’s crowded and too fast. Life there is slow and you enjoy it, you know?”

Both students will be graduating this year and are going back home in the winter to visit family and reflect on what their plans are for the future.

Kinda said that he still is planning on attending graduate school for African Studies because he hopes to eventually qualify for a position in the United Nations with a concentration on East Africa.

While at home, Masheto and Kinda will also begin working on plans to return the favor their sport has done for them.

“I want to start my own foundation that introduces sports to my community back home. Sports (programs) are small there, and running isn’t considered a sport in my community,” Kinda said.

Similarly, Masheto plans on returning home to Botswana in order to coach children.

“But I’m not going to be coaching soccer. It’s going to be track. I just want to introduce something new and change people’s attitudes. I want people to start looking at running as a sport,” Masheto said.