12/11/2025
Faith, Resilience & Purpose: The Story of Johnny K Kalenga -Founder of WeSkate Mongu
Compiled by: Ubuntu Youth Drive
Recorded by: Mako Palata (Ma Ko)
Location: Mongu, Western Province, Zambia
Guest: Johnny Kalenga – Founder of WeSkate Mongu & Lukaba Hande Skatepark, and upcoming leader of the Zambian National Skateboarding Team for the Olympic Games
Last Night I had the privilege to connect with one of the individuals I highly look up to and in whom, through his work am inspired.
1-Beginnings – A Dream Planted Early
Johnny Kalenga’s story is one of faith, vision, and divine timing. He credits everything to the glory of God, saying his journey with skateboarding was predestined.
His love for the sport began in Grade 4, when he first saw a skateboard and instantly fell in love: a classic case of “love at first sight.” He had no equipment, no mentors, and no local support. What he did have, though, was imagination and faith.
Without access to a real skateboard, Johnny began making his own boards using wooden planks. It wasn’t just creativity it was determination in motion.
One day, while sitting on a museme (a traditional mat), he saw a shooting star cross the sky. In that quiet moment, he made a wish: to one day skate freely and inspire others to do the same. That wish, made on the ground of Western Province, became the spark that would later ignite a movement.
Years later, he smiled, recalling how he eventually had so many skateboards that he lacked space to keep them. He reflected:
“God will always give you what you need, but only when you’re ready. If he gave us everything at once, we’d lose ourselves. He prepares us first so we can handle the blessings.”
2-Struggles, Resistance & Growth
At first, Johnny’s father was strongly against skating. He wanted his son to focus on school and saw skateboarding as dangerous and wasteful. That tension deepened when, during a school holiday in Grade 8, Johnny had a serious accident that broke his leg.
To his parents, this was confirmation that skating should stop but for Johnny, it became a lesson in resilience.
“Since I was three at school, I would get bullied but not physically, because I learned early on that in life, you must have your own back. Parents mean well, but one day you must follow what God placed in your heart.”
For a few years, his father had wanted nothing to do with skateboarding, but then he saw the passion, the change, and the purpose it was bringing into Johnny’s life. In time, that same father who once opposed it became his greatest supporter.
3-The Journey of Faith & Purpose
Johnny’s path was not easy. He faced a lack of equipment, funding, and community belief. But his faith never wavered. He often referred to Jeremiah, who was shown visions by God at a young age drawing a parallel to how he saw his own purpose clearly even when others didn’t.
“God said to Jeremiah, ‘What do you see?’ and he replied, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’ And God said, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.’ That’s how I felt. I saw it early, and God confirmed it later.”
Through this belief, he built Lukaba Hande Skatepark, with help from Wonders Around the World and Skate World Better. What started as a simple wish turned into WeSkate Mongu, now a thriving community space for youth across Western Province.
Changing the Mindset of the Youth.
Johnny’s mission goes beyond sports. He says his true purpose is to “reprogram the minds of young people” to break cycles of fear, doubt, and limitation.
“I’ve been in their situation before. So I teach them mental resilience not to make excuses, but to dream bigger.”
He uses skateboarding to teach youth discipline, persistence, and faith. Instead of handouts, he believes in hands-on empowerment:
“I don’t give them fish. I teach them how to fish.” he quoted.
For him, skateboarding is more than competition; it’s therapy, purpose, and ministry.
“I once thought that if I pursued God, I’d lose my skating journey. But it actually brought me closer to his passion and helped others come closer to skating through pursuing his faith journey"
4-Lessons of Faith: David, Joseph & Waiting
Johnny spoke passionately about how God prepares people before blessing them, drawing examples from Scripture:
“Before David killed Goliath, he had already killed the lion and the bear. God was preparing him in secret. That’s what our waiting season is: training for what’s coming.”
He also mentioned the story of Joseph, who was imprisoned but still developing his gift of interpreting dreams, showing that value attracts elevation:
“Joseph gave value even in prison. We too must work on our skills before the spotlight comes.”
He likened this to modern creativity and leadership: if you build value where you are, opportunities will find you.
Johnny further drew from Ephesians 3:20, saying:
“God can do immeasurably more than we think. He funds His will. Anything that’s not in His will, He won’t fund.”
5-Advice to Young Dreamers
Johnny’s message to youth is simple yet profound:
“Encouragement must come from within. If you wait for people to clap for you, you’ll always be disappointed.”
He urged young people to start small, stay faithful, and be consistent, emphasizing that success is not about wealth or recognition but about who you are becoming.
“You don’t succeed by what you do, but by who you are willing to become.
Money and resources are not missing. What’s missing is your readiness to handle what you’re praying for.”
He reminded young people that purpose is a process, and that God doesn’t rush preparation:
“Just like Apple only releases the iPhone after testing all its parts, God only releases us after proving we’re ready.”
6-Vision for Expansion: WeSkate Zambia
Johnny believes Mongu is just the beginning: the genesis of something much greater. He dreams of seeing similar youth spaces and movements across Lukulu, Kaoma, and other rural areas.
“I want to see passionate youth from these places rise up. If someone from Lukulu stands up and shows drive, I’ll help them. I want to see WeSkate Zambia become real.”
His vision is not just to build skateparks but to ignite purpose to prove that rural youth can lead and create change.
7-Skateboarding as a School of Life
Johnny described skateboarding as one of the best teachers of character: “You always have to overcome fear. It’s a one-man sport that builds and hinges on community. You fall many times, but you rise again. You just try because you don’t know where you’ll land. You only stop when you land.”
For him, that’s faith in motion, trusting God even when you can’t see the ground beneath you.
8-Connection to Ubuntu Youth Drive
At Ubuntu Youth Drive, we believe in the same principles that guide Johnny’s story, that youth development isn’t just about classrooms, but also about creativity, sports, and self-expression.
Through this conversation and collaboration, we aim to connect his message to young people in Lukulu and beyond, showing that faith and perseverance can transform any community.
Just as WeSkate Mongu gives youth a safe place to grow, Ubuntu Youth Drive continues to create digital and physical platforms where young voices are heard, dreams are nurtured, and action is inspired.
This is more than storytelling; it’s movement building.
“When young people find belonging and expression, they stop feeling lost.”
We are committed to working with changemakers like Johnny to help youth discover their voice, their faith, and their purpose — wherever they are. You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from, for not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.
Final Reflections
Johnny closed our conversation with a prayer and some impactful words of encouragement:
“There’s no passion to be found playing small. You can study medicine or law and still be unhappy if it’s not your calling, so it is not about what society expects you to do but what you have a passion for.
Destiny will always find you. Even if you choose something else, what’s meant for you will return because God already saw your path before you were born.”
He ended with an analogy of faith and confidence:
“If your landlord is demanding rent and you receive a message saying money has been sent to you, you immediately feel relief — even before checking your balance. That’s how we must trust God’s promises. His word is enough.”
From sitting on a museme making wooden skateboards, to leading Zambia’s Olympic skateboarding team, Johnny Kalenga’s story proves that faith, persistence, and purpose can build miracles from the ground up.
His life reminds us that God’s preparation is never punishment: it’s protection and positioning.
Ubuntu Youth Drive celebrates Johnny as a living example of rural youth power, showing that with faith, resilience, and unity, young people can create world-class impact from the most unexpected places.
12/11/2025
UYD
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