This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
Kenyan Boy's Life Transformed After Mesut Ozil's Gift ¶
Lawrence Masira, a 12-year-old Kenyan boy, has had his life transformed after catching the attention of Arsenal star Mesut Ozil.
On October 15, 2019, Masira celebrated Ozil's 31st birthday by singing a birthday song for the German star in a video posted to Twitter by sports journalist Eric Njiru.
Earlier this year, Njiru had introduced Ozil to Masira, who was herding cattle in Nairobi. Ozil responded by sending Masira Arsenal jerseys in March and a gift hamper of Gunners merchandise in May.
As a result of Ozil's kindness, Masira was appointed the Visa Players Escort Ambassador for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Egypt in May.
Before the tournament, Masira received a teeth whitening makeover courtesy of doctor Dr Arnold Malit of Lavington Green Dental Suite.
During the tournament, Masira walked out of the tunnel at the 30,000-seater Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo as a child mascot for Tunisia vs Madagascar.
Here's a timeline of little Masira's life-changing transformation:
- December 2018: Njiru photographs Masira herding cattle in Nairobi.
- March 2019: Ozil sends Masira Arsenal jerseys.
- May 2019: Ozil sends Masira a gift hamper of Gunners merchandise.
- May 2019: Masira is appointed the Visa Players Escort Ambassador for the AFCON tournament in Egypt.
- June 2019: Masira receives a teeth whitening makeover courtesy of Dr Malit.
- June 2019: Masira walks out of the tunnel at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo as a child mascot for Tunisia vs Madagascar.
