My role at Lapid I was the Lapid Council President in 2020. Before that I had been head of community service in 2019 which in hindsight wasn’t my best body of work .This has been a life changing role, as it has shown me the power of a vision and the process of executing the same as the council is responsible for executing the Lapid experience for every participant during their tenure.

When I am not actively in service, I have felt guilty; a sense of ‘wasting’ time and resources freely given to me like my skills. However, I’m also quite impulsive and lose interest in things very fast, and many times don’t finish what I started. Having been in Lapid since 2018, I knew that you don’t serve haphazardly as your mind and heart need to be present to handle the work. When the opportunity came, I took it up to help me get settled, teach my mind to slow down and concentrate on one task at a time, and above all to exercise a starter-finisher consistency and commitment.

It stretched me as I’ve been out of my comfort zone; planning, following through, finishing, handling all the communication and focus required in between. I have formed new friendships especially with the council members and truly know what belonging to a community feels like.

I am finally less scared of mentors as I had an unhealthy view that they were people we can only work to impress, but not talk to or be vulnerable with which has improved my vertical relationships.

I joined whilst doing my 3rd year of campus. Doing the program, and then staying to serve and practice what I have been learning has been the best thing in my life. The greatest holdbacks in my life have been due to an unhealthy relationship with failure and inability to focus. This space has allowed me to understand the why of my problem and tackle it. I’ve learnt to be kinder and compassionate to myself; try out new things, take up more opportunities and risks which has liberated me.

I am happier and more optimistic about life. My earliest childhood memory It’s not my earliest one but when I was in class one, I did my assignments using our paraffin lamp and old TV light, watching Kanze Dena present the news on KBC. I loved how she talked, looked and dressed, so wanted to be just like her. I learnt to speak English and Swahili slightly faster because of her and conducted interviews with ‘big people’ in my head till I fell asleep. I don’t know what my whole future looks like regarding me being ‘Kanze Dena’, but 2020 saw the realisation of my childhood ‘interviews’ when I have hosted Lapid interviews on Facebook and Instagram. 

During COVID, Lapid switched to working virtually so I remained connected to a community and that kept my mental wellness in check. Having been the more ‘digital’ employee at my workplace (I’m a legal intern at a law firm) also presented more opportunities for me.