Mwaniki Mageria, Secretary General, Riverwood Filmmakers Association. I turn 57 next week. I got my first child when I was around 27 years old.
Nobody teaches you to raise children, you just go with what you saw growing up and you choose to employ what you like and leave out what you don’t. My dad was a cop and then he became a corporate man. Very strict.
Fatherhood then seemed to be about laying down rules and enforcing those rules. Things have changed now. You have to listen.
You have to be more intentional. I decided to get into business so that I could be there for my children more. Jackie, my wife, has been a great friend and partner in this journey.
Fatherhood is also about energy. I have always tried not to carry the energy of the day into the house. So when I’ve had a bad day, I will always get home, sit in the car for a bit and try to leave the energy in the car.
What gift would I like for Father’s Day? I would love to hear my daughter tell me, 'oh, daddy, I'm getting engaged.' That'd be nice. Because doing life alone is difficult.
I think it's also important to pass on the heritage to another generation. The greatest gift God gave me is having my children and I cannot imagine my life without them. So I would want them to feel the same thing, have the same thing and know that it gives you such purpose and excitement.
Read: However, I also want them to be happy. There is something they did for me a month ago; they got me some nice clothes and my favourite drink..