How I learned to read -- and trade stocks -- in prison | Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll

Translator: Clarence Bitegeko Reviewer: Nelson Simfukwe

I was 14 years old

Nilikuwa na umri wa miaka 14

inside of a bowling alley,

nikiwa kwenye jumba la michezo,

burglarizing an arcade game,

nikiiba kwenye mashine ya mchezo,

and upon exiting the building

na nilipokuwa nikitoka nje ya jengo

a security guard grabbed my arm, so I ran.

mlinzi alikamata mkono wangu, hivyo nikakimbia.

I ran down the street, and I jumped on top of a fence.

Nilikimbilia mtaani, na nikaruka juu ya uzio.

And when I got to the top,

Na nilipofika juu,

the weight of 3,000 quarters in my book bag

uzito wa sarafu 3,000 kwenye mkoba wangu

pulled me back down to the ground.

ulinielemea na kunivuta chini.

So when I came to, the security guard was standing on top of me,

Niliponyanyuka, mlinzi alikuwa amesima juu yangu,

and he said, "Next time you little punks steal something you can carry."

na akasema, "Siku nyingine nyinyi vibaka, ibeni vitu mnavyoweza kubeba."

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

I was taken to juvenile hall

Nilipelekwa kwenye mahabusu ya watoto

and when I was released into the custody of my mother,

na nilipoachiliwa chini ya dhamana ya mama yangu,

the first words my uncle said was, "How'd you get caught?"

maneno ya kwanza mjomba wangu alisema yalikuwa, "Ulikamatwaje?"

I said, "Man, the book bag was too heavy."

Nikasema, "Mzee, mkoba ulikuwa mzito sana."

He said, "Man, you weren't supposed to take all the quarters."

Akasema, "Mzee, hukutakiwa kuchukua sarafu zote."

Nikasema, "Mzee, zilikuwa ndogo. Ningefanyaje?"

I said, "Man, they were small. What am I supposed to do?"

And 10 minutes later, he took me to burglarize another arcade game.

na dakika 10 baadaye, alinipeleka kuiba kwenye mashine nyingine ya mchezo.

We needed gas money to get home.

Tulihitaji pesa ya petroli kufika maskani.

That was my life.

Hayo ndiyo yalikuwa maisha yangu.

I grew up in Oakland, California,

Nimekulia Oakland, Kalifornia,

with my mother and members of my immediate family

na mama yangu na ndugu wa karibu wa familia

addicted to crack cocaine.

walevi wa madawa ya kulevya ya kokeini .

My environment consisted of living with family, friends,

Mazingira yangu yalijumuisha kuishi na familia, marafiki,

and homeless shelters.

na makazi kwa wasio-na-makazi.

Oftentimes, dinner was served in breadlines and soup kitchens.

Mara nyingi, mlo wa jioni tuliupata kwenye foleni za vyakula vya msaada.

The big homey told me this:

Mjomba aliniambia hivi:

money rules the world

pesa inatawala dunia

and everything in it.

na kila kitu ndani yake.

And in these streets, money is king.

Na katika hii mitaa, pesa ni Mfalme.

And if you follow the money,

Na ikiwa utafuata pesa,

it'll lead you to the bad guy or the good guy.

itakupeleka kwa mtu mbaya au mtu mzuri.

Soon after, I committed my first crime,

Baadaye kidogo, nilifanya uhalifu wangu wa kwanza,

and it was the first time that I was told that I had potential

na ndiyo mara ya kwanza nilipoambiwa kuwa nina kipaji

and felt like somebody believed in me.

na nikajisikia kuwa kuna mtu ananiaminia.

Nobody ever told me that I could be a lawyer,

Hakuna aliyewahi-niambia kuwa ningeweza kuwa mwanasheria,

doctor or engineer.

daktari au mhandisi.

I mean, how was I supposed to do that? I couldn't read, write or spell.

Yaani, ningewezaje kufanya hivyo? Sikuweza kusoma, kuandika wala kutahajia.

I was illiterate.

Sikuwa mtu aliyesoma.

So I always thought crime was my way to go.

Kwahiyo, mara zote nilifikiri uhalifu ndio njia ya kwenda.

And then one day

Na kisha siku moja

I was talking to somebody

Nilikuwa naongea na mtu

and he was telling me about this robbery that we could do.

na alikuwa ananiambia juu ya huu wizi ambao tungeweza fanya.

And we did it.

Na tukaufanya.

The reality was that I was growing up

Ukweli ni kwamba nilikuwa nakulia

in the strongest financial nation in the world,

kwenye nchi yenye uwezo mkubwa wa kifedha duniani,

the United States of America,

Marekani,

while I watched my mother stand in line at a blood bank

huku nikiangalia mama yangu, akisimama kwenye foleni ya benki ya damu

to sell her blood for 40 dollars just to try to feed her kids.

kuuza damu yake kwa Dola 40 kujaribu tu kulisha wanae.

She still has the needle marks on her arms to day to show for that.

Bado ana alama za sindano mikononi mwake leo kudhihirisha hilo.

So I never cared about my community.

Kwa hiyo sikuijali jumuiya yangu,

They didn't care about my life.

Hawakujali maisha yangu.

Everybody there was doing what they were doing to take what they wanted,

Kila mtu pale alifanya anachotaka fanya kupata alichotaka,

the drug dealers, the robbers, the blood bank.

wauza mihadarati, wezi, benki ya damu.

Everybody was taking blood money.

Kila mtu alichukua fedha ya damu.

So I got mine by any means necessary.

Hivyo nilipata yangu kwa njia yoyote ile.

I got mine.

Nilipata yangu.

Financial literacy really did rule the world,

Elimu ya fedha kweli ilitawala dunia,

and I was a child slave to it

na nilikuwa mtoto mtumwa kwake

following the bad guy.

nikifuata mtu mbaya.

At 17 years old, I was arrested for robbery and murder

Nikiwa na miaka 17, nilikamatwa kwa wizi na mauaji

and I soon learned that finances in prison rule more than they did on the streets,

na punde nikajifunza kuwa fedha jela zinatawala zaidi ya zilivyo mitaani,

so I wanted in.

Hivyo nilitaka kuingia.

One day, I rushed to grab the sports page of the newspaper

Siku moja, nilikurupuka kushika ukurasa wa michezo katika gazeti

so my cellie could read it to me,

ili mfungwa mwenzangu anisomee,

and I accidentally picked up the business section.

na kwa bahati mbaya nikachukua sehemu ya biashara.

And this old man said, "Hey youngster, you pick stocks?"

Na huyu mzee akasema, "Hey, kijana, umechukua hisa?"

And I said, "What's that?"

Na nikasema, "Ndio nini hicho?"

He said, "That's the place where white folks keep all their money."

Akasema, "Hiyo ndiyo sehemu ambayo watu weupe huweka pesa yao yote."

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

And it was the first time that I saw a glimpse of hope,

Na ilikuwa ndiyo mara ya kwanza nilipata ono fupi la tumaini,

a future.

siku za baadaye.

He gave me this brief description of what stocks were,

Alinipa maelezo mafupi ya hisa zilikuwa ni nini,

but it was just a glimpse.

lakini ilikuwa ni muhtasari tu.

I mean, how was I supposed to do it?

Yaani, ningewezaje kuifanya?

I couldn't read, write or spell.

Sikuweza kusoma, kuandika wala kutahajia.

The skills that I had developed to hide my illiteracy

Ujuzi niliokuwa nimeukuza kuficha kutokusoma kwangu

no longer worked in this environment.

haukufanya kazi tena katika mazingira haya.

I was trapped in a cage, prey among predators,

Nilikuwa nimenaswa kwenye kizimba mateka kati ya watekaji,

fighting for freedom I never had.

nikipigania uhuru ambao sijawahi kuwa nao.

I was lost, tired,

Nilikuwa nimepotea, nimechoka,

and I was out of options.

na sikuwa na machaguzi.

So at 20 years old,

Kwa hiyo nikiwa na miaka 20,

I did the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life.

nilifanya kitu kigumu kuliko vyote nilivyowahi kufanya maishani mwangu.

I picked up a book,

Nilichukua kitabu,

and it was the most agonizing time of my life,

na ilikuwa ni kipindi kigumu sana maishani mwangu.

trying to learn how to read,

kujaribu kujifunza jinsi ya kusoma,

the ostracizing from my family,

kutengana na familia yangu,

the homeys.

na rafiki zangu.

It was rough, man.

Ilikuwa shida, mzee.

It was a struggle.

Ilikuwa ni mahangaiko.

But little did I know

Lakini sikufahamu japo kidogo kuwa

I was receiving the greatest gifts I had ever dreamed of:

nilikuwa napata zawadi kubwa kuliko zote nilizowahi kuziota,

self-worth,

kujithamini,

knowledge, discipline.

maarifa, nidhamu.

I was so excited to be reading that I read everything I could get my hands on:

Nilisisimka mno kusoma, kiasi kwamba nilisoma kila kitu nilichokitia mkononi:

candy wrappers, clothing logos, street signs, everything.

makaratasi ya pipi, nembo za nguo, alama za barabarani, kila kitu.

I was just reading stuff!

Nilikuwa nikisoma tu vitu!

(Applause)

(Makofi na Vifijo)

Just reading stuff.

kusoma tu vitu.

I was so excited to know how to read and know how to spell.

Nilisisimka sana kujua jinsi ya kusoma na kujua jinsi ya kutahajia.

The homey came up, said, "Man, what you eating?"

Rafiki alikuja, akaniuliza, "Mzee, unakula nini?"

I said, "C-A-N-D-Y, candy."

Nikasema, "P-I-P-I, pipi."

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

He said, "Let me get some." I said, "N-O. No."

Akasema, "Nipe kidogo." Nikasema, "L-A. La."

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

It was awesome.

Ilikuwa babukubwa.

I mean, I can actually now for the first time in my life read.

Yaani, sasa naweza, kwa mara ya kwanza katika maisha yangu, kusoma.

The feeling that I got from it was amazing.

Hisia niliyoipata, ni ya kustaajabu sana.

And then at 22, feeling myself,

Kisha, nikiwa na miaka 22, nikijisikia mwenyewe,

feeling confident,

nikijiamini,

I remembered what the OG told me.

Nilikumbuka kile yule mzee aliniambia.

So I picked up the business section of the newspaper.

Kwa hiyo nilichukua kurasa za biashara za gazeti.

I wanted to find these rich white folks.

Nilitaka kuwatafuta hawa matajiri weupe.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

So I looked for that glimpse.

Kwa hiyo nilitafuta ule muhtasari.

As I furthered my career

Nilipokuwa nikijiendeleza kikazi

in teaching others how to financially manage money and invest,

nikifundisha wengine namna ya kusimamia fedha na kuwekeza,

I soon learned that I had to take responsibility for my own actions.

punde nikajifunza kuwa nilihitaji kuwajibika kwa matendo yangu.

True, I grew up in a very complex environment,

Kweli, nilikulia kwenye mazingira tata sana,

but I chose to commit crimes,

lakini nilichagua kufanya uhalifu,

and I had to own up to that.

na nilipaswa kukiri hilo.

I had to take responsibility for that, and I did.

Nilipaswa kuwajibika kwa hilo, na nilifanya hivyo.

I was building a curriculum that could teach incarcerated men

Nilikuwa nikiunda mtaala ambao ungeweza kuwafundisha wafungwa

how to manage money through prison employments.

namna ya kusimamia fedha kupitia ajira za gerezani.

Properly managing our lifestyle would provide transferrable tools

Kutiisha mtindo wetu wa maisha kungeweza kutoa zana zihamishikazo

that we can use to manage money when we reenter society,

ambazo tunaweza kuzitumia kusimamia fedha tunapoirudi kwenye jamii,

like the majority of people did who didn't commit crimes.

kama watu wengi walivyofanya ambao hawakufanya uhalifu.

Then I discovered

Kisha niligundua

that according to MarketWatch,

kulingana takwimu ya MarketWatch,

over 60 percent of the American population

zaidi ya asilimia 60 ya wakazi wa Marekani

has under 1,000 dollars in savings.

wana chini ya Dola 1,000 katika akiba.

Sports Illustrated said that over 60 percent of NBA players

Michezo ilielezea kwamba zaidi ya asilimia 60 ya wachezaji wa NBA

and NFL players go broke.

na wachezaji wa NFL hufilisika.

40 percent of marital problems derive from financial issues.

Asilimia 40 ya matatizo ya ndoa hutokana na masuala ya kifedha.

What the hell?

Balaa gani?

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

You mean to tell me that people worked their whole lives,

Unataka kuniambia, watu wamefanya kazi maisha yao yote,

buying cars, clothes, homes and material stuff

wakinunua magari, nguo, nyumba na vitu mbalimbali

but were living check to check?

lakini walikuwa waliishi hundi kwa hundi?

How in the world were members of society going to help incarcerated individuals

Ni namna gani duniani wanajamii wangekwenda kuwasaidia wafungwa

back into society

kurudi kwenye jamii

if they couldn't manage they own stuff?

ikiwa hawakuweza kusimamia mambo yao wenyewe?

We screwed.

Tumevurugwa.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

I needed a better plan.

Nahitaji mpango mzuri zaidi.

This is not going to work out too well.

Hii haitakwenda kufanya kazi vizuri.

So ...

Hivyo ...

I thought.

Nilifikiria.

I now had an obligation to meet those on the path

Sasa nilikuwa na wajibu kukutana na wale waliokuwa kwenye mkondo huo

and help,

na kuwasaidia,

and it was crazy because I now cared about my community.

na ilikuwa ni ajabu sababu sasa nilijali jumuiya yangu

Wow, imagine that. I cared about my community.

Lo, hebu fikiria. Nilijali kuhusu jumuiya yangu.

Financial illiteracy is a disease

Ujinga juu ya Fedha ni ugonjwa

that has crippled minorities and the lower class in our society

ambao umedhohofisha wachache na walio chini katika jamii yetu

for generations and generations,

kwa vizazi na vizazi,

and we should be furious about that.

na tunapaswa kukasirika juu ya hilo.

Ask yourselves this:

Ebu jiulize:

How can 50 percent of the American population

Inawezekanaje asilimia 50 ya wakazi wa Marekani

be financially illiterate in a nation driven by financial prosperity?

wasiwe na elimu ya fedha katika nchi inayoendeshwa kwa ustawi wa kifedha?

Our access to justice, our social status,

Kupatikana kwa haki kwetu, hadhi yetu ya kijamii,

living conditions, transportation and food

hali ya maisha, usafirishaji na chakula

are all dependent on money that most people can't manage.

vyote vinategemea fedha ambayo watu wengi hawawezi kuisimamia.

It's crazy!

Ni ajabu!

It's an epidemic

Ni janga

and a bigger danger to public safety than any other issue.

na hatari kubwa kwa usalama wa umma kuliko suala jingine lolote.

According to the California Department of Corrections,

Kadiri ya Kitengo cha Urekebishaji cha Kalifornia,

over 70 percent of those incarcerated

zaidi ya asilimia 70 ya wale waliofungwa

have committed or have been charged with money-related crimes:

wamefanya au wameshtakiwa kwa uhalifu uhusianao na fedha:

robberies, burglaries, fraud, larceny, extortion --

wizi wa kutumia nguvu, kuvunja nyumba, kutapeli, uporaji, ghusubu --

and the list goes on.

na orodha inaendelea.

Check this out:

Angalia hii:

a typical incarcerated person

Mfungwa wa kawaida

would enter the California prison system

huingia katika mfumo wa gereza wa Kalifornia

with no financial education,

pasipo kuwa na elimu ya fedha,

earn 30 cents an hour,

hupata ujira wa senti 30 kwa saa,

over 800 dollars a year,

zaidi ya Dola 800 kwa mwaka,

with no real expenses and save no money.

bila ya kuwa na matumizi yoyote na kuweka akiba yoyote.

Upon his parole, he will be given 200 dollars gate money and told,

Anapopewa msamaha, hupewa dola 200 pesa ya geti na kuambiwa,

"Hey, good luck, stay out of trouble. Don't come back to prison."

"Wee, mafanikio mema, kaa mbali na matatizo. Usirudi gerezani tena."

With no meaningful preparation or long-term financial plan,

Bila kuwa na maandalizi yoyote ya maana au mpango fedha wa muda mrefu,

what does he do ... ?

anafanyaje ...?

At 60?

Akiwa na miaka 60?

Get a good job,

Apate kazi nzuri,

or go back to the very criminal behavior that led him to prison in the first place?

au arudi kwenye tabia ile ile ya uhalifu iliyompeleka gerezani kwanza?

You taxpayers, you choose.

Nyinyi walipakodi, chagueni wenyewe.

Well, his education already chose for him, probably.

Hakika, elimu yake imeshamchagulia, pengine.

So how do we cure this disease?

Kwa hiyo, tunatibuje ugonjwa huu?

I cofounded a program

Nilishiriki kuanzisha programu

that we call Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy.

tuliyoiita Elimu Hisia ya Uwezeshaji wa Kifedha

We call it FEEL,

tunaiita FEEL

and it teaches how do you separate your emotional decisions

na inafundisha namna ya kutenganisha maamuzi ya kihisia

from your financial decisions,

na maamuzi ya kifedha,

and the four timeless rules to personal finance:

na sheria 4 aushi za utawala fedha binafsi:

the proper way to save,

njia sahihi ya kuweka akiba,

control your cost of living,

kudhibiti gharama zako za maisha,

borrow money effectively

kukopa fedha kwenye ufanisi

and diversify your finances by allowing your money to work for you

kutawanya fedha yako kuruhusu fedha yako ikufanyie kazi

instead of you working for it.

badala ya wewe kuifanyia kazi.

Incarcerated people need these life skills before we reenter society.

Wafungwa wanahitaji ujuzi huu kabla ya kuingia tena kwenye jamii.

You can't have full rehabilitation without these life skills.

Hatuwezi kubadilika kuwa na maisha ya kawaida bila ujuzi huu wa maisha.

This idea that only professionals can invest and manage money

Hii dhana kuwa ni Weledi tu wanaweza kuwekeza na kusimamia fedha

is absolutely ridiculous,

ni ya fedheha kabisa,

and whoever told you that is lying.

na yeyote aliyewaambia hivyo anadanganya.

(Applause)

(Makofi na Vifijo)

A professional is a person

Mweledi ni mtu

who knows his craft better than most,

anayejua kazi zake kuliko walio wengi,

and nobody knows how much money you need, have or want better than you,

na hakuna mtu ajuaye kiasi gani cha fedha wahitaji, unacho, au wataka zaidi ya wewe,

which means you are the professional.

ikimaanisha kuwa wewe ni mweledi.

Financial literacy is not a skill, ladies and gentlemen.

Elimu ya fedha siyo stadi, mabibi na mabwana.

It's a lifestyle.

Ni mtindo wa maisha.

Financial stability is a byproduct of a proper lifestyle.

Uimara wa kifedha ni matokeo ya ziada ya mtindo sahihi wa maisha.

A financially sound incarcerated person can become a taxpaying citizen,

Mfungwa mwenye elimu nzuri ya kifedha anaweza kuwa mwananchi mlipakodi,

and a financially sound taxpaying citizen can remain one.

na mwananchi mlipakodi mwenye elimu nzuri ya kifedha anaweza kubaki hivyo.

This allows us to create a bridge between those people who we influence:

Hii inatuwezesha kuunda daraja kati ya wale watu tunaowashawishi:

family, friends and those young people

familia, marafiki na wale vijana

who still believe that crime and money are related.

ambao bado wanaamini kuwa uhalifu na pesa vina uhusiano.

So let's lose the fear and anxiety

Kwa hiyo tupoteze uwoga na wasiwasi

of all the big financial words

wa maneno makubwa ya kifedha

and all that other nonsense that you've been out there hearing.

na ujinga mwingine wote ambao mmekuwa mkisikia huko nje.

And let's get to the heart of what's been crippling our society

Na tujikite kwenye kiini kilichokuwa kinadhoofisha jamii yetu

from taking care of your responsibility to be better life managers.

kuanzia kutimiza wajibu wako la kuwa meneja mzuri wa maisha.

And let's provide a simple and easy to use curriculum

Na tutoe mtaala mwepesi na rahisi kutumia

that gets to the heart, the heart

ambao utaingia kwenye kiini, kiini

of what financial empowerment and emotional literacy really is.

cha ni nini ukweli wa uwezeshaji wa kifedha na elimu ya hisia.

Now, if you're sitting out here in the audience and you said,

Sasa, ikiwa umekaa hapa kwa wasikilizaji na umesema,

"Oh yeah, well, that ain't me and I don't buy it,"

"Ndiyo, kweli, hiyo si mimi na sikubaliani nayo,"

then come take my class --

basi njoo uchukue somo langu --

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

so I can show you how much money it costs you every time you get emotional.

ili nikuoneshe ni kiasi gani cha pesa inakugharimu kila unaposhikwa na hisia.

(Applause)

(Makofi na Vifijo)

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Asanteni sana. Asanteni.

(Applause)

(Makofi na Vifijo)