Hital Muraj is a True Changemaker

Hital Muraj is one of a kind and I am blessed to have her in my life as are so many people in our world. I recently caught up with her and got some firsthand perspective on what’s happening in east Africa. You see, we worked together at Cisco and we met the first time when I was planning a trip to the region.

On a TelePresence video call with her local regional manager and me, she had to endure another executive coming to the area, who she had to plan a visit for on top of all of her existing workload. (I didn’t know any of this at the time!)

But when I arrived and we got to spend time together, it was like we were long-lost friends and sisters who were simply reconnected by purpose and passion. And it is incredible how much drive and energy she has to care deeply and take action. With Hital, you are always with a leader who walks her talk and touches the lives of so many people, including your own. It was better than any motivational talk to spend time with Hital Muraj and see the world through her beautiful heart and brilliant mind.

Serving Others is a Way of Life for Hital Muraj

The connection between us lives on, as do the adventures.  I am sharing with you a post she recently wrote as a Tale from the Trek in her words:

Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them, and serving others for me, is one such thing.

Before the pandemic, homeless people in Nairobi found it hard to find jobs and food in the city. Imagine how much worse the situation got with the COVID-19 restrictions in place.

In my own small way, I decided to help how I could. One weekend, I started a feeding program for homeless families in Nairobi. Two years later, I have distributed 46,800 meals. The program has not just helped me give but it has been a learning experience.

10 Life-Changing Lessons from Serving the Homeless

1.  Very little of what we have is truly necessary. How much do we really need? Be grateful for what you have.
2. The smallest acts of kindness make the greatest impact and can transform someone’s day.
3. The way to solve problems is not always through money.
4. Be consistent. People are in need all the time.
5. Society stigmatizes the homeless as criminals, drunkards, or people who are lazy and won’t work to make ends meet. The truth is that they are just as human as you and me.
6. Everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through something that has changed them.
7. The homeless want to be heard and valued.
8. That one meal you provide to them may be the only meal they will eat that day.
9. There’s a great deal of resilience and survival skills in the homeless.
10. Lastly, there’s so much work to be done by each of us when we are ready to take action.

Is it Time to Listen to What’s Calling Us?

As the voice of Hital Muraj, a global ambassador for humanity, vibrates through the ethers, let’s become aware that when we have a voice, we have a choice. Hital’s story is in my books and she shared with me a few years ago that “I would love to live in a world where we can each play our role and not have it be seen as Africans needing to be saved. What we need is opportunity. The way people can help is to be the voice. I want to be the voice of my people and our youth.

What I know is that when you don’t have a voice, you are in an unlucky situation because you didn’t choose to be there, and yet, that is exactly where you are. We are all responsible for being the voices out in the world, to tell people that there is much more behind poverty than what is being shared in the media.

We have amazing people with hope and skills who simply need the chance to make a life for themselves. And they want to solve their own problem, with coaching and guidance. They need job creation and skills development. And most importantly, they need to know that they matter. How do we ignite their fire and change their environment? By helping to give them a very loud voice in the world.”

“We need more leaders in the world who are humble and who understand that we can learn from each other on this journey. It’s no longer just about the title. People want to be around people they trust, not people they fear. Being able to emotionally connect with people, and being able to really define the challenges in this leadership position, are key.

The new type of leader is great at listening and bringing people together on purposeful treks. And, if you are looking for someone amazing to join your team and take on your biggest opportunities, please reach out to Hital today! She is ready for her next adventure …