Be Intentional – Jane Mutheu

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

It has been with so much greatness to be a part of ABLI as there was always a take away every Tuesday. I am Jane Mutheu Musembi passionate about Tech may it be in the morning, evening, or noontime. The one thing that got my attention with ABLI was the leadership journey which was coupled up with so many things.

I have interacted with a former ELF alumnus (Steven Muasya) and the leadership skill he portrays in different situations are always outstanding. We always know that when we need someone to talk to the youth he was the one because he would do decode heavy messages using a simple language understandable to his audience.

My journey started when Stella Cheboi called one afternoon as I was buying a movie with the question, “If you were a bicycle, which part would you want to be?” My eyes started to look for a bicycle nearby so that I could relate well, given that it’s not the one thing I interact with daily. You can be sure after that I was ready to start the sessions.

We started with introductions of who we are, what we do, and what we like. This was the perfect pace-setter for the sessions. I was challenged by some of the profiles my fellow ABLI mentees had and this made me more eager to know what made the difference.  The two things that I was expecting from the sessions were, “What does ABLI have for us and what can I learn from the others.”

Personality-types was the first session we had with the facilitators and it was a very interactive session. Getting to know who I am in terms of my personality gave a lot of meaning as to why I do things in a certain way. Emotional Intelligence came after, which was so deep that we ended up having the discussion at our Youth Ministry at AIC Kasarani. We spent 3 weeks just trying to understand the mind-blowing topic. I still carry the discussion in both sessions with me every day. It is so amazing walking and interacting with people and you just get to understand where they stand. For sure it does away with unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings thanks to ABLI.

Storytelling and life mapping came in with Jim India as our facilitator and it took us back in the days and it gave us a view of how life stands out both negative and positive. As I thought of what stood out for me I realized that life will always be empty and it’s up to you to fill it with beautiful memories and experiences. Letters to self, a session we also had, still holds the record of the longest assignment given to me by me. Those who were in the session can easily relate to that as I am still counting months to when I get to open my letter.

Every other session that we have had has always come with its weight and awesomeness. Let’s take public speaking, for instance, the facilitator made sure that we all had something to say before the session ended. I had my fingers crossed throughout the session so that am not given a hard question to speak about and luckily enough the charm worked but you can be sure I answered a question before the end of it all.

The things I have learnt from the sessions  are so many that every day, I plan to share lessons around. I am grateful for the opportunity. To ELF and BSK, thank you for getting this training out here.

 

By: Jane Mutheu, ABLI 2020

LETS EMBRACE CLIMATE ACTION AS A BUSINESS

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Life is a long journey, and if you have an idea of where you are going, finding the right mentor or platform can be a gamechanger. I recently got hitched to one which changed my perspective for the foreseeable future; a 3-day stakeholders convening by UNDP that sought to engage young people in the environmental space on Redd+ readiness and nature-based entrepreneurship. Gladly, I would say sometimes an ember is all we need. A trigger of some sort, a spark. Somehow, we became more confident of the possibilities of the future.

The forum was largely centered on the environmental ecosystem, biodiversity, and entrepreneurship in nature-based businesses. Youth entrepreneurship, investment in the forest value chain and incentivizing climate action as a business were drummed up as a possible buy-in for the youth. Top of the objectives was to scale up climate change projects ran by young people and make them commercially viable. To that end, various partners including Ministry of Environment, Kenya Forests Research Institute, Kenya Forests Services, Net Fund Green Innovation and Youth Enterprise Funds were netted in to demonstrate the massive scope of potential and opportunities that were up for exploitation by young people. Sadly, despite the youth being the future of our country, youth remain absent in the environmental sector or at best limited.

There is need to challenge the idea that Africa’s extraordinary biodiversity and wildlife is a diminishing resource that needs to be protected because conservation efforts need to generate wealth for local people from sustainable businesses based on natural products.

World over, climate change is set to become the most fatal crisis of our time!  While climate change remains irrefutable, we are not too late to stem the tide, and this requires fundamental transformation in all aspects of our society. From how we power our economies, use our land, grow food and the transportation modes we adopt. Trees are finally getting the international recognition they deserve, thanks to their potential as a natural climate solution for absorbing carbon, restoring vital ecosystems, and helping humans adopt to a rapidly changing climate. In a perfect storm that includes Covid-19 and the intertwined crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, we need bold moves to build back better. Conserving, restoring, and growing one trillion trees all over the world by 2030 can help anchor our recovery, delivering equitable environmental progress and livelihood opportunities for the people who need them most.

In Kenya, forests remain the best opportunity to mitigate climate change. The Kenyan government aims at achieving a 10% tree cover by 2022, a rather ambitious fete. That means a whooping 1.8 billion trees must be grown, not planted. Statistics have it that only 10% of the trees planted survive. Tree growth, being an enabler of the Big 4 agenda, is an opportunity for young people to create green jobs through activities such as seed bulking, nurseries establishment, reforestation, afforestation, agroforestry, and sustainable forest management. Another sector to benefit massively from forestry is manufacturing as Kenya is a net importer of forest products. Plantations of Bamboo, Melia tree, sandal wood, and jojoba remain lucrative options for young people in considering forestry as a business. The future of forests in our country lies in investing in commercial forestry outside the gazzetted forests. Honey farming and butterfly farming are other worthwhile projects that promise decent livelihood opportunities for young people.

You see, nothing makes happy than being part of a resilient community that works too hard to fight for mother earth. A clarion call by the young people who attended the UNDP Stakeholders Forum was that time was nigh to swim with the sharks in the climate action. The youth do not know enough to be cautious and therefore they should attempt the impossible-and achieve it, generation after generation. The key to 1.8 billion trees? Many hands. This ambitious goal can only count on power players to deliver the actions that are needed. We must get all hands-on deck, including community groups and the young people of our beloved nation. This dream will require us to dig deeper than we ever wanted, always a little further! 10% tree cover can become a reality.

It became our audacious dream. We are the ones we have been waiting for!

 

By: Marvin Kimani, ELF

“I want to be a leader with a difference” Brian Seli

/22 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Brian Seli is a vibrant young man who champions for Devolution and Governance under Emerging Leaders Foundation- Tunaweza Program. He currently works with Emerging Leaders Foundation as the Coordinator of Bungoma County.

He has led advocacy for the implementation of the Youth policy in the County Assembly, inclusion of youths in budget making process through public participation. He is a  lways outgoing and has done mass sensitization on many occasions in the spheres of youths. Brian is passionate about politics, public finance, public policy and cycling, devolved governance and many more. He also commentates on current political and social issues in Kenya.

Being the current Bungoma county coordinator  has given him life lessons. Previously, he was a naïve youth who had no objective in life regardless of having come up with an Empowerment group called The Royal Empowerment Team which collapsed in two years’ time. “I never knew the necessary offices I could visit, and I also never had the courage to talk before people. I used to think that ‘a comrade is always right’ notion but alas, it was a total lie,” Brian Seli.

“When I was invited to attend this great training, I was so glad. The training gave me a realistic understanding of myself. It also gave me power to do better than I was before. I now knew what the CIDP, ADP, CFSP and many more documents were. I gained the courage to share with others and even at times considered myself a great scholar of ELF. My greatest take was that I discover the potentials and abilities in me, I connect with the relevant personalities and then I impact the same to the society at large.”

Since then he has been a vocal advocate on the formulation of the youth policy and attended public participation to take part in budget making processes and in his county.

“The formation of the Youth Policy will be such a great integral part of my work. It will open more avenues for youths since I made sure that at least every ministry has a youth desk fully owned by youths. Together with the support of my team, we ensured that maternal health care is such a crucial thing. We called for the improvement of the maternal health sector. No woman has to die just out of negligence and so forth.”

Besides advocacy, Brian is a leading voice on teenage pregnancies and makes rounds in sub-counties talking to young girls on the same and distributing sanitary towels to those that may be lacking. At the peak of the pandemic, Seli started an awareness creation program in Bungoma town where he uses posters on measures that needed to be taken to control the curve and distributed free masks to residents, majorly mothers and teenagers.

Brian Seli and his team take part in a sanitary towels drive.

Seli desires to further his leadership skills and grow into a formidable leader, not only in his county but nationally. “I really have a desire to grow my leadership skills. I want to be a leader with a difference, a leader who is vigilant and ready to work. A leader who will never sleep until something good has happened. I refuse to be used and bought off cheaply. I believe that one day, my desires will be achieved.”

“Elf has given me the opportunity to lobby for the Youth and even ensure that devolution is working as expected. I have learnt that one must believe in himself to do all this. I am ready to be a mirror of success.”

In his line of work, he has encountered challenges that have affected/ slowed down his work. Being a university student, he initially found it challenging to be the team lead as he thought it was too much for him, but he has since overcome this. Working with young people has also opened his eyes to how ignorant they are and how they neglect public forums, with some registering with no attendance. This has constantly affected his advocacy mission with numbers lowering each time he steps out to run with something.

“We are all born leaders and we have to be patient, tolerating, obedient and always stand firm. A goal be the driving force of a leader. Without clear goals, nothing can be achieved,” Brian adds.

His next goal as the Coordinator of Bungoma is to step out and mentor more young people in his county and the country. “I believe that a well natured vision leads others, I want to become someone great.”

‘A leader is one who knows the way,

Goes the way,

And shows the way.’

 

 

“Leadership is a process of becoming”

/4 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Unprecedented life moments at times are valuable blessings with great treasure, rare opportunities to behold and be part. The new year (2020) presented a lot workload from previous year and it felt heavy and derailing, uncertainty loomed unlike other years. The desire within was to have a supervisor to oversee our regional activities which would allow me to find a fulfilling course to upgrade my studies and better myself. Coincidentally, though undecided on what to pursue in 2020, ABLI happened. The ELF advert spoke to my worries of being a young inexperienced leader and it was stamped in my heart that God wanted me in the Regional management; He was ready to equip me for service. With uncertainty of my busy work schedules, I took a bold leap of faith and the Lord caused the world to stand still in honor

Amidst Covid-19 pandemic, as light deemed for many and hope ceased, my life was gradually being re- modeled and renewed. Every session was divinely connected with my Bible study and Royal Mentorship courses I chose to pursue, an assurance that the season was ordained for me. Sufficient time to rest and review the lessons learnt helped me to internalize and do self checks particularly on my character and competency.

Well-seasoned facilitators have helped me unmask my fears/flaws/weaknesses/gaps and find the courage to confront them. Exposure to right attitude for growth and emphasis on personal effort in the making of an effective leader has challenged my status quo mentality. The nuggets of wisdom acquired are helping me build a worthwhile brand of a transformed leader. With a purposeful and intentional drive and constant practice to become an articulate public speaker, my fears are gradually melting away and am taking personal responsibility to increase my knowledge and skills in my profession through online learning and reading. Gradually, self awareness and development are helping me manage relations better. Am challenging my laid-back nature by actively participating in forums and volunteering to engage

Leadership is a process of becoming that requires commitment and devotion with humility to learn and serve. This comes with seeking growth and learning opportunities. I have learnt that character defines who we are and it takes iron to sharpen iron. Choosing to retain relativity and status quo limits, but extra effort to better oneself is a great gain.

To my young brothers and sisters, my younger self lost many opportunities by failing to be proactive, exceptional, and to stand out. Sometimes by limiting self to what I could do and fear of people’s judgments, heaping loads of work on self without self-check has made me perform dismally. However, with the course sessions offered by ELF am being modeled to a young effective leader, laying off days of old to embrace the new. I have a new perspective to lead the Regional team and use the opportunity to serve the community and advocate for justice

With my journey to becoming an influencer in community development work and policy development, am seeking opportunities and connections to grow assisted by mentors who daily challenge me to greatness. I hope to develop my life strategic plan and support my regional office to develop an organizational profile with greater impact.

Am indebted to the ELF and BSK the life transforming opportunity they accorded me. My life will impact generations and be the change and the light the world needs.

 

By: Nzembi Nzioka- Community development worker & ABLI2020 mentee. 

Are we normalizing everything?

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Gone are the days when one could distinctively differentiate between what is acceptable or not acceptable. Today’s generation easily makes anything that favors them or looks less harmful to appear normal. This trend was not ‘the normal’ when our parents were young. Moreover, young people nowadays must keep up with what’s trending. This is exact opposite of what our parents did. We as young people are willing to do anything for money, fame, glory and to fit in. Sometimes we lose our morals in the name of ‘But everyone is doing it.’  It never rings a bell that our behavior is as a result of experiences, yet we tend to mirror our peers without figuring out what is making them act in a particular way. As long as, it looks trendy, we are game.

There is no SI unit of happiness, it cannot be graded.

Fortunate to be born in the digital era but let us take a journey through social media. Skimming through what young people are posting online will give you a clear picture of what our current society looks like. You will notice that the youth are comfortably exalting sadness. The current generation assumes that being sorrowful on social media makes them look more authentic. “People label their sadness as depression and their nervousness as anxiety when problems they are facing do not reflect their psychological problems. If healthy people are convinced that they are depressed, they consequently identify with glamorized social media posts exasperating the phenomenon even more,” Jennifer Jadyel.

It is now trendy to be depressed. Although speaking out could be a plus in dealing with mental health, a majority are just doing it for fun. It makes it hard for one to discern who needs help and who doesn’t.

Another noticeable trend is people posting what is viewed to be wrong according to societal norms and principles while making it look like the emblematic way of life. Although some of these posts are done anonymously some young people do not hide their identity. For instance, someone would shamelessly post property acquired in an unethical way and brag about it. It now looks normal to get into crime as long as one doesn’t get caught. If this were in the past, a few us could be reprimanded and stern action taken against us. The youth are motivated by making money without considering if they are rightfully doing it.

There is this new culture of doing what makes you happy. Happiness for the youth is divergent hence we cannot identify a common ground of what makes everyone happy. There is no SI unit of happiness, it cannot be graded. The motto is ‘Do what you like as long as it makes you happy.’ This has affected how we portray our behaviors, whether in public or private. We do not care what other people think of us as long as it favors us. Look at how we entertain ourselves, we have normalized using drugs to escape the realities of this world because everyone is doing it. When you are stressed your friend will hand you some illegal substances to calm down your nerves. Subsequently this is how so many youths have been recruited to drug abuse in the name of enjoying their youthful days. You will find videos or images online of people indulging in drugs, to most of us, it is cool. We are blinded by the idea of enjoying our youth thus forgetting the future is waiting to thank us or scold us for it.

Normalizing bad behavior happens gradually as long as deviance is tolerated. As the society systematically evolves it is crucial for us to reform and only normalize tendencies that will not affect us negatively.

Let us normalize, good morals, decency, healthy habits and rectifying bad actions. If normalization of selfish interest persists, we are going to have dysfunctional society that is rudderless. Similarly, if we take these habits ‘nomareee…..’

 

By: Stephen Kimathi, LDP Assistant Programs Officer

“The most fulfilling thing to do as a human is being kind and giving back”

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Linda Salbei is the founder of Linda Msichana Organization a Community Based Organization in Kericho County centered in benefitting girls and women towards attaining quality basic education. She is passionate about empowering girls and women in business. A young upcoming entrepreneur, Linda has been in the field of charity for close to five years now where she has reached out to the youth, women, and community at large.

Her first time engaging with Emerging Leaders Foundation was in 2017 when the organization had a countywide training and mentorship program for community leaders. She was lucky to be among the first people to be trained in Kericho county amongst other young leaders. After the training, she got an opportunity to be part of the 1st Youth Devolution Conference held in Nairobi where she meet and interacted  with other young leaders who were part of the ELF county networks and were doing amazing things in their communities.

Because of these intense trainings from ELF her way of operation at Linda Msichana have changed drastically in that as an organization they are more aware of the roles of community leaders especially those in elected positions therefore making it easier and more efficient to hold them accountable for their actions. “This has greatly influenced me as a leader in that I am now bold enough to engage them in our activities and approach them when we need assistance from their offices a good example is during allocation of bursaries for needy students we are able to get slots for the young mothers and school going girls who are very needy.”

 

“My greatest takeaway from ELF is that our leaders are approachable people and it is our duty as change makers to reach out to them if we want to make our community a better place.”

Her biggest interest in life is reaching out to the younger generation and seeing them pursue their dreams especially when it comes to talent and skills. “I am a believer that talent and skills can open doors and change lives. I enjoy making crafts as a way of practicing my talent. ELF has played a major role in mentoring and empowering me to not only be a great leader but also a role model and a voice to many young women girls in my community and therefore I would want to pass down the knowledge I have to those around me,” she adds.

The most difficult part about her journey and work is on resources as they can be scarce making it challenging for programs to run. Owing to this, Linda Msichana has programs that promote and enhance talent and skills that the girls have.

“We have been teaching them how to make Ankara bangles from recycled material that we collect from local tailors. From this we are able to sell the products locally and this small income sustains the day to day operation of the organization. We sometimes face difficulties from community members who do not understand our work in the community and this is where we bring in chiefs and local leaders during our community outreaches to further explain to them what we do.”

Linda has picked many lessons along the way but she has three lessons that she key lessons learnt that she can share with other leaders.

  1. It is important to be passionate about the causes we believe in because in this way passion fuels purpose.
  2. Being persistent and consistent are essential in achieving results.
  3. Leaders should also be resilient no matter the circumstance!

“Our short-term goal as an organization is to have programs for girls running throughout the entire Kericho County as for now we are in three Sub Counties. For our long-term goal, we want to set up a community resource center that will cater for not only school going girls and young mothers but also the whole community.”

“I believe the most fulfilling thing to do as a human is being kind and giving back!”

“I am committed to play a consistent role in my mentees life,” Dr Faith Odwaro

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Faith Mugoha Odwaro Orinda, popularly known as Dr. Faith is our mentor of the day. She is passionate for medicine and compassion for people. She is a general surgeon with a keen interest in global surgery which advocates for equity in timely and safe surgery. She is a health and social change mentor.

She is the Founder and Managing Trustee of The Mazira Foundation, which has an overall objective of improving the health seeking behaviours. The foundation’s activities range from focusing on influencing a shift of mindset, looking at health in totality rather than in segments and putting emphasis on health education to assist the public in owning their health. Her experience at The Mazira Foundation has shaped and influenced her position on public health education. “It must be central in any health discussion; a well-informed community is better placed in achieving good health and social change.”

For Dr. Faith, good mentorship starts when the mentee believes and appreciates that the relationship with their mentor will be beneficial in their growth and development. She also believes that good mentorship should provide mentees with the tools, guidance, support, network, and feedback that they need to thrive in life.

“The success depends highly on the mentee- how much they receive and what they do with what they receive. It should not be the other way around.  Life gets busy; it takes commitment from both the mentee and mentor for the process to be a success. Being accommodative and flexible also creates a wonderful learning experience. However, this should in no way encourage familiarity,” she adds.

“My mentorship is hands on; I don’t allow them to admire from a far. I give my mentees an opportunity to engage, make mistakes and learn. I involve them in the activities of the foundation according to their ability and experience. This brings down the walls, it gives us an opportunity to know each other better. I am better placed to mentor when I understand my mentees. I am committed to play a consistent role in my mentees life over a period of time. I put in my best but only give as much as they are willing to receive,” Dr. Faith details her mentorship journey.

Some of her greatest moments in mentorship include working together, watching the transformation, being there for each other, celebrating the achievements made. Physical meetings more particularly under the COVID circumstances however have made things challenging as she can’t meet with her mentees.

Her advice to professionals interested in being mentors, “I believe that we are all born with a purpose, and this goes beyond what we do for a living. It is about the difference we make with the knowledge, experience, and connections that we have gained over the years. Knowing that we all have a limited number of years on earth, what would your legacy be? There is no greater joy than that of mentorship – Walking with those who are taking the same path after you, offering the wisdom that you have gathered and lessons so dear. The satisfaction of being a part of your mentee’s success cannot be described, it can only be experienced, and you have an opportunity to mentor right here within Emerging Leaders Foundation.”

Her favorite quote, ‘There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honour your calling. It is why you were born, and how you become most truly alive’ by Oprah Winfrey.

IT’S A NEW DAWN!

/5 Comments/in , , , /by

The pandemic came with lock down, shattered dreams, goals, and visions. At the beginning, I had no hint of what would happen next, or even how I would plan for the rest of the days. I kept getting restless as the number of infections kept rising. I embraced being still and walking into new paths and being available for opportunities.

While being still, I received an email from the from Emerging Leaders Foundation on African Biblical Leadership Institute (ABLI), a program I had applied for, informing me that I had qualified for the 2020 cohort. I got excited on hearing the news, I celebrated in song and dance as I waited for the training to commence.

Come June, the training was finally launched. I got so excited to see fellow participants logging in from across the country. The music at the waiting room was calming, I knew I had found a new home. As participants kept logging in, my heart leapt with joy on seeing Caren Wakoli. How I felt like reaching out to hug her, but sadly because of the pandemic the meeting was online. It was very great having her speak to us, because she is a lady I admire, and I look forward to meeting her. She warmly welcomed us and encouraged us to always be outstanding. She told us to always endeavor to bring out our ‘A’ game on the table and we should never hold back.

I have since learnt that most people make decisions based on their emotions. During this period, I have taken time to settle and understand myself. I endeavor to be renewing my mind daily, fixing my eyes on positive results and not getting overwhelmed with stress. I started buying books on leadership and self-awareness, to enable me learn from people’s perspectives and experiences.

The journey that I took is about learning, unlearning, and re-learning as well. As an aspiring leader, I am learning to lead from behind just as Nelson Mandela said “A leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, where upon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being distracted from behind.” Leading from behind means being a servant leader, taking care of the people’s needs first before your own. I am on course to becoming a servant leader.

In this journey that I took, I have embraced the power of having a vision, not just having it but learning to implement it step by step. ABLI has led me to understand that you become successful if you implement your vision. This is because visions keep us going. Having a stronger vision makes one not to easily give up.

It is a journey of learning in depth the habits of highly effective leaders. By this, I am working daily on conquering myself and my fears and sharpening the axe. This way, I can be able to conquer the world. I am practicing being decisive and balancing my life. This is to keep me away from having a successful business and a terrible family at the same time.

Being an ABLI fellow is a journey I took on my way to leadership.  I believe with God on my side, I am making it. It is indeed the rise of a New Dawn.

 

By: Catherine Khayali, ABLI 2020

Mentor of the Week: Everton Lukorito

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Everton is a banker with over 10 years’ experience. He has been a mentor at ELF for 15 months in the entrepreneurship space.

His mentorship experience has been a great one as he has always found joy working and sharing insights with the younger generation who he believes have much potential if well coached. “The journey has been insightful and mind blowing. The sheer fact that someone looks up to you and tasks you to be the best so that you can create the best out of him/her is fulfilling.”

“Our current generation is on a different platform and if we sit and watch, we will have a case to answer to the ancestors. You know that proverbial question ‘When did the rains start beating you?’ I better play my role by mentoring and not wait for the moment to answer the questions.”

His greatest moments have always been when creating ice-breaking moments with his mentees as he gets to create connections with mentees and understand on their needs and goals.

Everton believes good mentorship is about getting your mentee to fulfill their potential and letting them see what they hold in them. “It is mining the Gold out of the mentee who thought they have Coal. It entails hand holding and opening the mind to a new sphere step by step.”

His advice to new mentors, “We must realize that behind the scene we have young people who wish to walk your path, and joining the mentorship journey will not only create a better people but a people who will make mentorship take a different perspective in the world.”

His favourite quote ‘All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts’ by William Shakespeare.

“Looking back, joining ELF was the wisest decision that I have made in life”

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Gladys Maina was not always going to be a STEM professional. She had initially pursued a medical laboratory certificate but realized rather quickly that a career in medicine was not meant for her. She quit and travelled 250Kms to Nairobi where her passion for technology started.

She never looked back and has gone ahead to excel in her career and studies. She recognizes the role technology continues to play in transforming lives and societies. Despite Kenya being a resource-constrained developing country, she believes that it offers her the opportunity to use technology to solve social-economic issues. It is for this reason that Gladys continues to seek international experiences that guide her in achieving these goals. In November 2019, she was named a 2020 finalist of the Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship in line with Adobe vision of creating the best products by bringing gender diversity into the technology industry. In 2018, she was one of the four finalists and the only Kenyan nominated in the category of IT Project Management for the 2018 Afrika Kommt! Initiative.

Gladys attributes her continuous success to the training she got at Emerging Leaders Foundation, an organization she came across as she was casually browsing the Internet. ELF helped her rediscover who she really was and her capabilities. She learnt how to align her passions with a successful living. As an aspiring leader, the session on leadership gave her lessons that she carries with her to date. She was taught that leaders have clarity, leaders take care of the company they keep, and leaders give back to the community.

It is for this reason that Gladys has continued to champion for gender diversity and inclusion in the STEM field. In June 2020, she was selected for the 2020-2021 TechWomen program from an incredibly competitive cycle with only 108 women selected to participate. TechWomen brings emerging women leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East together with their professional counterparts in the United States for a mentorship and exchange program in the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, DC.

ELF taught her three crucial lessons which she has carries and shares with those around her:

  1. Never settle for less.

You should keep pursuing your goals and increasing your knowledge no matter what position or title you hold in life.

Steve Jobs said that we should never settle and we should never arrive.

  1. Be brave and take risks.

“We need to be brave and take risks to achieve our ambitions. We need to lose sight of the shores to discover new oceans. Taking risks means hurdling into the unknown and believing that we will make it to the other side, despite not yet knowing what the other side is going to look like. It is taking bold actions and forcing ourselves into unfamiliar territories.”

  1. Run your own race

“Sometimes we are tempted to look at others and compare ourselves. We evaluate ourselves by how much our colleagues, teammates, friends, and family members have accomplished forgetting that they are their own unique individual. One thing ELF taught me is that it does not matter when you start the race, what matters is that you eventually finish. Learn as much as you can as there is room at the finish line for all of us.”

Gladys hopes to continue inspiring the next generation of leaders. She believes that she stands on the sacrifices of a million women before her and is always thinking what she can do to make the mountain taller so the women after her can go even further.

“Looking back, joining ELF was the wisest decision that I have made in life.”

 

 

By: Gladys Maina, LDP Cohort 5