Levi Kones' books delve into US deportation saga and cancer survival

"Right on schedule at 2200 hrs, KLM flight 565 touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, bringing with it yours truly, decked in nothing more than shorts, a T-shirt and an overcoat provided by the Rush City Correctional Centre. I was back home and it was scary." The above is an excerpt from Levi Kones' book, There is no Useless Experience: 20 Lessons from the University of Life, Season 1. He had just been deported from the US, where he had spent five years. As you would expect, he found it hard to adjust to life back in Kenya, especially with the deportee tag hanging over his head. Kones was in his early 20s when he left for the US to study Sports Medicine, a course he never finished. The money he was earning, working part-time, proved too sweet; he ended up violating the provisions of his student visa by attempting to work fulltime, earning himself the deportation. Although he had dived headlong into a life of partying and drinking, while in the US, he took the drinking to the next level after he landed in Kenya. When things were about to go south Kones decided to turn a new leaf by voluntarily checking himself into a rehab centre. Many Kenyans will remember Kones as the guy who made headlines after he proposed to his girlfriend (now wife) on live TV, when he was in the cast of Citizen TV's reality show, Slimpossible. Scandal soon followed him when an ex-girlfriend sensationally told bloggers that she was still married to him and that he had physically assaulted her. Bloggers had a field day covering the story and the resulting court drama. The Nairobian covered the unfolding drama a few times, so did the other papers. It took seven years for a magistrate to clear him of all the charges. Just as he was beginning to settle down, colon cancer struck, but he fought it with all he had until doctors recently declared him cancer-free. That, in a nutshell, is Levi Kones' life. However, it is the details that make all the difference and you can only find them inside the covers of his two books. It is how he tells his story that makes the books unique. Motivational book I first got to know of Kones' first book during last year's Nairobi International Book Fair. From the title, I knew this has to be a motivational book, hence my initial reluctance to go for it. I was soon to be cured of my 'bias' when I watched his moving story on YouTube. That is when I squeezed a generous discount from him, for his first book. There is no Useless Experience is part autobiographical and part motivational. Kones, who works as a producer on Kass TV, draws from his real-life experiences to give solid lessons to readers. By virtue of having experienced it, Kones, in his books, gives sound advice on matters to do with immigration/deportation, addiction and surviving cancer, among others. He says that there are more than 5,000 Kenyans, mostly from the US, getting deported back home on a yearly basis. His books come highly recommended to parents and their children who are seeking visas/green cards to travel abroad in search of greener pastures. It is also a handy workbook for those, like him, reeling from the ignominy of deportation. "My inbox is full of people, whose lives have stagnated after getting deported," Kones told me in a recent interview. "When I can, I reach out to them and offer advice on how to adjust to life and cope with the negativity and stigma that comes with it." As a cancer survivor, he gets lots of requests from families with cancer patients to encourage them in their healing journey. Having tasted the devastating impact of cancer, Kones calls for the government, through healthcare providers, to prioritise counselling for cancer patients. "More than any other disease, cancer patients need counselling services in order for them to cope with the mental and emotional stress that comes with the disease. Caregivers also need to be trained on how to handle cancer patients," he explains. Reading through Kones' books, one is struck by how brutally honest he is with details of his life as well as his relations with people close to him. He does not sugarcoat things; he tells things as they are. There are simply no sacred cows. The other more important thing is how well-written and edited the books are. The author's mastery of language, clever turn of phrase and subtle humour make the books such a joy to read. And yes, the lessons are easily relatable. These two books come highly recommended. Ngunjiri is the curator of Maisha Yetu, a digital Arts and Books media platform mbugua5ngunjiri@gmail.com

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Levi Kones' books delve into US deportation saga and cancer survival

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