Like most of the Ujamaa Men, Jonathan Flowers grew up in extreme poverty. For Flowers, selling drugs was a path to money and status. It wasn’t until later in life that he realized selling drugs would prevent him from achieving what he ultimately wanted – a stable life. Flowers’ criminal record kept him from entering the traditional workforce, and he was repeatedly forced back into a lifestyle he desperately wanted to escape. Today, he’s renamed himself “Inspiration,” a nod to his commitment to uplift youth and show them a different way. In 2019, Flowers received a full-time paid internship with the support services team at Ujamaa Place, providing mentoring and support for new enrollees into the Theory of Transformation.