tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394235686462486842024-11-01T13:34:40.723+03:00“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincolnmomokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-14521686152293647902013-08-27T10:29:00.000+03:002013-08-27T10:29:01.234+03:00

Working in China and learning to manage a Chinese team has got to be one of the most challenging thing I have to do so far in my career.  It's challenging because in addition to the issue of lacking good talent I faced in Africa, the organization in China has grown to a size where chaos is much more difficult to get under control.  Moreover, culturally speaking, the Chinese are much

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-46471068404529877762013-06-02T12:43:00.001+03:002013-07-11T07:28:33.189+03:00

I met quite a number of friends recently that is leaving the social enterprise space to go to business school, with the aim to go back to private sector.  This is partly because the money is better and more appropriate for where they are in life, and partly because they don't believe in social enterprise to the same degree as they did before.  I even had a long debate with my tax

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-34313058611384662022013-03-25T13:26:00.004+03:002013-03-25T13:26:48.602+03:00

It's been 3 weeks since I moved to the "motherland". Until now, my exposure to China had been limited to my primary school textbook and polarizing views from media and friends.   I'm not sure if it is because I'm coming from Africa where my standard of "comfort" has been substantially lowered, OR because I have quickly reconnected with my Chinese "root" that have been

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-69507437980173797532013-03-03T17:51:00.004+03:002013-03-03T17:51:54.873+03:00

I saw a video promoting Daniel Pink's book "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" a few weeks back.  It was interesting video that poses an interesting question "What is your sentence?" My first stab at my sentence (still work in progress): "when others give up, she kept pushing and asking questions, and as a result, left the world & everyone around her

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-51265346888931739502013-02-23T13:11:00.003+03:002013-02-23T13:11:48.084+03:00

Today I leave Nairobi, where I have called home for the last 18 months to move to China and to continue pursuing (in a different capacity) the same mission I have bought into with d.light 18 months ago - to provide equal quality of life for people below poverty line.  I am excited for the new opportunity as it enables me to work on a more strategic level to drive the company's direction,

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-47854960317846925932013-02-09T20:57:00.000+03:002013-02-09T20:57:35.387+03:00

As I get ready to move for my new role in China, I can't help but have mixed feelings about my imminent departure from Africa.  My life in Africa has been filled with a colorful collection of maddening frustration, wild amusement, life-changing personal (& professional) lessons, and endearing friendships.  This has been one of the most memorable and worthwhile thing I've done in my

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-30813152321026898532013-01-26T18:21:00.003+03:002013-01-26T18:21:42.779+03:00

In my recent work trip to Tamil Urdu in Southern India, I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Kulandei Francis, the founder of Integrated Village Development Project (IVDP) in Krishnagiri district.  It's not very often that one gets to meet inspirational leaders who are truly making a difference in their community, and I felt very lucky to have a chance to be in Mr. Francis'

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-59489577770742754072013-01-24T00:31:00.000+03:002013-02-08T08:32:39.700+03:00

Working with d.light has given me a chance to take a peek through the keyhole into the start up world.  It's a fascinating space with quite a lot of interesting characters!  What really intrigued me though, is this idea of "serial entrepreneurs".  There are so many of them!!  Certainly quite a number of them have accomplished a lot, but I've also observed a large amount who

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-20276138404286415852012-12-06T17:58:00.000+03:002013-02-09T12:03:53.727+03:00

During my first year in Africa, I have been told on several occasions that I am more accommodating than most expats.  One example is that I don't make a fuss if a driver is 10 minutes late or have a less than pristine car.  Service is EVERYWHERE in Nairobi, and basic service is pretty decent here as far as taxi...etc. small things go!  So technically, if

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-17076410245615502302012-11-23T17:26:00.000+03:002013-02-07T22:13:50.396+03:00

While in Senegal for a conference, I got pulled into perhaps not the most bizarre but certainly the most unexpected situation.  Being my first time in Dakar, I wanted to stay an extra day to explore the town.  My 40-or-so year old local translator was kind enough to offer his mom's home for 2 nights, so that I don't have to couchsurf with random people (which is a strange

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-27399180491205264022012-10-24T20:23:00.001+03:002012-11-20T00:32:49.621+03:00

My friend recently shared this funny article on Facebook... How to show Nigerian love | Daily Times Nigeria . While the article was written as a satire, it was pretty close to how most relationships work in Nigeria, and may I even dare to say, how relationships work in most of Africa. Coming from the perspective of a fairly westernized woman, I find the respect & 

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-22730654976474066582012-09-09T21:12:00.001+03:002012-09-09T21:15:36.335+03:00

If you find this question difficult to answer, you may be a TCK (Third Culture Kid) or CCK (Cross Culture Kid). I recently saw a video about TCK, and it became a language which expressed a lot of how I often feel as an individual.  I thought I should share this with those who have grown up in a multicultural environment (or is raising children in such environment) in case you may

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-63904338054473818952012-08-25T19:10:00.000+03:002012-08-25T19:41:22.201+03:00

Last week I celebrated my 31st birthday, and one of the best gift I got (ever) was witnessing the tremendous progress Kianda Vision Computer Center has made.  Since opening in mid-May, we now have 38 students enrolled in the 2 months program, and the first cohort has officially passed their exams and have received certificate from the center. It's hard to believe how fast this

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-45325476060587635942012-07-27T04:17:00.001+03:002012-08-25T19:40:15.597+03:00

Dear Africa, I want to apologize for complaining about your inefficiencies and turning into such a micro-managers always breathing down your neck (yet still not achieving as much as I'd like).  This week, I realized -- the problem is not you, it's me.  I have failed to understand how you think, how you work, and how you are motivated so that I communicate in the manner you can relate/

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-19965302712349467602012-07-18T12:10:00.001+03:002012-07-18T12:16:50.621+03:00

10 months later, I finally understood why I got a room of Nigerians balling uncontrollably during a training in Enugu after I shared a very serious (and hopefully inspiring) story about a farmer in Kano being able to improve his productivity with d.light lantern... No one told me the truth, but apparently "productivity" means "sexual productivity" around here.   At the time, my colleague

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-30479479703257545372012-07-15T15:33:00.002+03:002012-08-25T19:45:58.733+03:00

They said children are the future, and for marketers, children are easier to mold and more open to new ideas.  Consequently for d.light, we're trying out something so that we can educate kids about our solar lanterns, in the hope that they will convince their parents through this early exposure and adopt it themselves when then get older.  As part of my effort to find out more

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-86584503544111522182012-07-02T22:29:00.000+03:002012-08-25T19:42:20.194+03:00

Nairobi has proven to be the quicksand that people said it is, and I am officially signed on to stay here for another few months until end of March, 2013! This also mean that I had to officially resign from General Mills since the longest sabbatical I could take is 1 year.  The thought of leaving a safe, stable, enviable job in the US and officially jump off the corporate ladder

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-88863204638787839192012-06-29T20:45:00.001+03:002012-06-29T20:45:28.397+03:00

Re-posted from Colipera, a site that is a source of inspiration for me! Be More Proud. Be More Accountable Far too often we ride the middle chunk of the accountability bell curve. We are embarrassed when any bit of praise comes our way or we don’t know how to share our successes with those around us. Additionally, we never take full responsibility for our mistakes or errors. We tend to

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-83016594735997713482012-06-12T15:20:00.000+03:002012-08-25T19:35:30.190+03:00

Back in December I made a post that discussed the difficulty I have as a person to take a leap of faith in "G-d".  After working in Africa for nearly 10 months now, while I'm still by no mean a super-duper religious person, I have to say that it has made me a person with slightly more faith than the girl that showed up in Nairobi 10 months ago. I'm not sure when the transition

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-32583009801998458212012-06-10T20:46:00.001+03:002012-08-25T19:41:22.196+03:00

SO, IT FINALLY HAPPENED! With  much anticipation, Freddy & Wilfred officially opened the Kianda Vision Computer Center in Kibera in mid-May.  A HUGE THANKS to everyone who made donation to the project!  I actually never thought that this would happen so quickly (given how slow everything else is around Africa).  I can only say that my friend Freddy & Wilfred

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-63423711117046720442012-05-21T12:16:00.003+03:002013-01-25T15:53:57.805+03:00

Nigerian names are very interesting, and they never cease to amuse me...these are some names of people I've actually met Nice (who's that over there? That's Nice..ah, very NICE!) Gift Promise Blessing Innocent (What's your name, where were you when the murder occurred?  I'm Innocent, I'm innocent!) Bright (Hello, I'm bright!  well, let's see about that!...heehee) Goodluck (see

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-90271890117172993242012-05-20T22:29:00.004+03:002012-10-14T23:20:06.216+03:00

"Do you have something for me?" is a phrase that I'm slowly getting used in Nigeria.  For my most recently trip, it feels as though I hear it as often as "how was your night" and "good morning, ma'am". Upon arrival, I was stopped by the custom, he asks me what do I do, I said, "I'm trying to bring solar lantern to Nigerians", he said "Do you have a light for me?" I  politely explain

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-40799292853196670832012-05-13T16:47:00.001+03:002012-11-22T12:39:33.099+03:00

I remember attending an Asian leadership panel a few years back, a very senior executive from EcoLab shared an advice given to him when he was a young chap working at one of the top investment banks. He was a rising star, bright, driven, hardworking, but he was frustrated by people around him who are going at a slower pace than him. His mentor said to him, "there is no doubt that you are an A+

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-62388480250057893462012-04-11T20:56:00.001+03:002012-08-25T19:32:34.517+03:00

Over Easter long weekend, my friend Charlene and I took a grils' trip to Lake Turkana in Northern Kenya bordering Ethiopia and Uganda. It is the Northern-most lake in the Rift Valley, and was the set for the movie The Constant Gardener. Turkana is remote and almost completely undeveloped. Many Nairobians I know don't even consider it part of Kenya! This area is populated by the Turkana

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139423568646248684.post-58928918925717648902012-04-02T22:11:00.000+03:002012-08-25T19:41:22.199+03:00

This is a much delayed update, but back in February, my friend Freddy and I have registered the computer center project under the name "Kianda Vision Computer Center".  Now we've purchased a 10 x 10 space in Kibera slum and am currently remodeling the place into a neighborhood computer center that will offer computer class to youths so they can gain the skills that will be helpful for

momokohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999421215912745529noreply@blogger.com1