By Violet Auma.
Armstrong Kwarula Lidonde, now a proud holder of dual citizenship in Kenya and the USA, has come a long way from the struggles of his early life.
Today, he is a successful professional and the founder of Hope Restoration Ministry International in Worcester, Massachusetts. But his journey was anything but easy.
“Looking back, I sometimes wonder if I would have achieved more had I stayed in Kenya,” Armstrong reflects. “But every challenge, every hurdle, made me who I am today.”
Armstrong’s story is one of perseverance.
From a young age, he dreamed of traveling to the United States, inspired by his older brother’s journey abroad.
However, achieving that dream took years of persistence.
“I started applying for a U.S. visa at 17,” he recalls. “I was rejected multiple times and even tried going to Germany first, hoping it would make my chances better. But it wasn’t until my seventh Green Card application that I finally won.”
Back in Kenya, Armstrong faced financial hardships that derailed his education. Despite being a top student, he couldn’t afford school fees to continue to Form 5.
He had been admitted to Lang’ata High School and Nyang’ori High School but could not enroll due to lack of fees.
Instead, he entered the workforce, taking up various jobs, including a stint in a paint company where he was fired for dozing off after a heavy meal.
“I had eaten githeri and chapati and dozed off at work,” he says with a chuckle. “My supervisor found me sleeping and fired me on the spot.”
His job search led him to Bata Company, but even that came with unexpected struggles.
On his way home to share the good news, he was arrested for hanging on a moving bus and spent the night in Buruburu Police Station. The ordeal was humiliating, but he remained determined.
“That night in jail was terrible. The smell, the darkness, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” he recalls. “But the next day, I still made it to my second job interview and got the position.”
Luckily, his friends bailed him out that night, but not before their mother scolded him at the gate.
“You will not enter my house with those clothes!” she shouted. “Those clothes are full of lice from jail. Take them off at the gate!”
When Armstrong finally moved to the USA, he expected instant success, but the reality was far from glamorous.
His first job paid just $2.25 an hour as a furniture builder.
“I was used to handling money back home,” he says. “Then suddenly, I was making $18 a day as a carpenter in the USA. I regretted leaving Kenya at first.”
Determined to make the most of his new life, he climbed the ranks, moving to a better-paying job as a forklift operator at Polar Beverage before securing a managerial position at the College of the Holy Cross.
“I lost my first supervisory interview because I didn’t know what a lawnmower was!” he laughs. “Back home, we used slashers and jembes, so those machines were new to me. But I took courses, learned, and now I’m in a management position, earning well and taking care of my family.”
Beyond his career, Armstrong found fulfillment in faith.
In 2023, he founded Hope Restoration Ministry International, which now boasts 90 in-person congregants and over 200 online followers.
“Starting a church was always in my heart,” he says. “Winning souls for Christ is the ultimate success.”
His personal life also had its share of challenges.
Before leaving Kenya, he met Jackline Uside Kwarula, the love of his life. They married in 1997, but for seven years, they faced pressure due to childlessness.
“People said she was barren,” he says. “Some even tried to find me another wife. But we held on to faith, and God blessed us with two sons, Abel Karoli Lidonde and Aron Kwachi Lidonde.”
Armstrong Lidonde, the son of the late Elijah Lidonde, carries a legacy of resilience and determination, much like his father, who was a legendary figure in Kenyan football.
Elijah Lidonde played a pioneering role in shaping the sport in Western Kenya, leaving an indelible mark on Kenyan football and inspiring generations of players.
While his father made history on the field, Armstrong has forged his own path from overcoming struggles in Kenya to establishing himself as a pastor and professional in the United States.
Now settled in the USA, Armstrong has built a comfortable life but remains connected to his Kenyan roots.
“No matter how far I go, home will always be Kenya,” he says. “I worked hard, faced rejection, endured struggles but in the end, I made it. And I want others to know that with persistence and faith, they can make it too.”
From a village boy in Ikolomani who attended Shikokho Secondary School to a respected professional and pastor in Worcester, Massachusetts, in United States of America.
Armstrong Lidonde’s life is a testament to resilience, determination, and unwavering faith proving that success can be achieved despite setbacks, just as his father helped build the foundations of Kenyan football.
His story serves as an inspiration for many both in Kenya and abroad.
