Njambi Mungai: Open-mindedness prepares you to receive more in your line of work
Njambi Mungai, a communication, media and advocacy specialist.
Njambi Mungai is a communication, media and advocacy specialist with over a decade in the industry. Currently, she is the head of communications, media and advocacy at Clean Start. Njambi is a passionate human rights defender, wife, mother of two, dog and cat lover, and gardener. She’s also a lover of life and adventure. She shares her career story:
“I had a great childhood full of play and laughter. I grew up in a small family with just one sibling, I am the firstborn. Due to the fact that I was surrounded by a lot of male cousins, I was almost always pushing my limits in everything outdoors. From climbing trees, hills, playing football, being chased by dogs; whatever the boys did, I also did. Looking back, this shaped my attitude in life, not backing away from a challenge and not being afraid to question things that don’t make sense.
“I studied at Riruta Satellite Academy, then Pangani Girls School, which was one of the phases that deeply shaped my life and character. I passed my KCSE exam with a B+ and was to join Kenyatta University, but my parents had a different plan and had applied for a course in Finland. At the time, all you needed to do was pass the entrance exam, which was tough, then you could study for free. I aced the exam and at 18, I boarded a plane... to study IT, which was considered marketable, one assured of a job on completion. In typical African parent fashion, I was driven towards that direction even though I wasn’t really passionate about it.
“I majored in software engineering (programming) at the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, formerly Evtek University of Applied Sciences, where I graduated in 2011. I later came back to Kenya and studied a Master of Digital Communications at USIU-Africa. I also have numerous certifications in courses such as advocacy, storytelling, social media, analytics etc.
“My first professional job was at Nokia Siemens Networks as an IT administrator trainee after graduating. It was here that I knew for a fact that my career path gave me no satisfaction. I found no joy in going in to work every day. I needed to find my passion. After my contract was up, I packed my bags and flew back to Kenya. I knew I had more leeway here to find myself, especially with the support of family and friends. The job search began, but I also started documenting the culture shock of reentry in a blog I had started. The response from friends and strangers to the blog was quite a surprise. But even more surprising was how happy writing made me.
“I also write opinion pieces, sending to media houses hoping they would be published. Imagine my surprise when Standard Media started picking my pieces. Seeing my work on the website was one of my happiest moments. When a sub-editor role opened up at the media house, I applied and was invited to an interview. And what sealed the deal for me was my previous publications, that despite not having a journalism degree, my initiative and drive opened doors.
“In 2021, I moved to Clean Start as the head of communications, media and advocacy, which is my current role. This role aligns perfectly with my personal values of gender empowerment and advocating for those without a voice.
“Self-Initiative has been key in my journey. It’s the tasks that I did out of what was required of me that opened new doors. Open-mindedness literally prepares you to receive more. The more could be wisdom, skills, or lessons. No one is self-made, it takes the support of many people around you. My family has been incredibly supportive, especially my husband.
“My advice to the youth: Respect the process. With the social media pressure, the youth have the notion that they will start earning big bucks. It takes time to build yourself and learn. That kind of growth is slow and painful but it teaches life skills.”
