2nd Diaspora Meet-up for Kenyans in Germany: Role of Kenyans in the Diaspora

Which role have Kenyans in the diaspora played in building bridges, establishing communities in Germany or as returnees back home?

The goal of our 2^nd diaspora meet-up for Kenyans in Germany is to highlight and showcase some of the roles/projects Kenyans have played in building these bridges, establishing communities in Germany or as returnees back home. Watch the LIVE session now: >>2ND DIASPORA MEET-UP FOR KENYANS IN GERMANY

Africans in the diaspora have been playing an important role both in their countries of origin and in residential countries. The most common trend is in economic development in their countries of origin mainly through remittances, business linkages, transfer of skills and knowledge transfer and in empowering communities within diaspora and back home.

The German government has been of great support having initiated programmes like the WIDU.africa (funding grants for businesses in Africa), DIASPORA 2030 (Engaging diaspora for sustainable development) Afrika Kommt! (connecting young leaders from Africa with leading German companies) among others.

Meeting Details & Panelists

There are several initiatives between Germany and Kenya that have contributed to some of the important factors mentioned above. Kenyan Professionals who trained or studied in Germany, have played a substantial role as well. Some have established businesses in Germany and back home, others have established diaspora communities in Germany while others relocated back home to support the brain gain in the academia and corporate sectors. There are still many obstacles that could be solved easily by engaging stakeholders like the government, initiatives within the diaspora communities among others.

Panelists


Edith Otiende-Lawani Director of Board and Lawyer, GAaNF e:V. & The Bridge Consulting (www.gaanf.org)
Edith Otiende-Lawani is a 35year old legal practitioner originating from Kenya. Her passion for defending human rights led her in 2006 to Germany, where she later joined Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich in to study law. After qualifying as a Lawyer, she did her legal internship „Referendariat“ with the Higher Regional Court „Oberlandesgericht“ Munich and various administrative authorities. Since 2011, she´s been working with legal firms majorly in the field of compliance, criminal law, immigration law, corporate law, employment law and administrative law. Through her social engagements with NGOs and public sectors active in development cooperation, she was inspired to found the association « Giving Africa a New Face e.V. » in 2017, which aims at promoting sustainable partnerships between Germany and Africa, as well as inclusive socio-political structures in Germany. The demand for promoting German-African B2B Partnership prompted the foundation of her company „The Bridge Consulting“, which brings Start-Ups and SMEs with Investors together, within Germany and between Germany and Africa. Ms Otiende-Lawani is also very active in politics where she holds various positions within her Party, and aspires to create reforms especially as regarding development, refugee and migration policies. Link: www.gaanf.org

Rose Komarek, Trained Nurse in Germany Founder, African Nurses & Pfleger in Germany
Having successfully trained as a nurse in Germany, Rose saw the need to establish a platform to support Nurses of African origin who would like to join the healthcare sector in Germany and who are also ready to give back to communities in Africa. Rose Founded the African Nurses/Pfleger in Germany (ANPG), a Facebook Group with over 2000 African nurses who are based in Germany. ANPG focuses on empowering African nurses training and working in Germany. The organisation offers on voluntary basis training, coaching, mentoring and helpful tips on how to cope with some of the challenges in one of the most demanding sectors in Germany. Apart from focusing on the healthcare sector in Germany, Rose together with her members are also geared towards giving back to the communities back in Africa through capacity building, knowledge transfer and to partner with other institutions with a common goal of solving health issues globally. Our goal is to build bridges between Germany and Kenya targeting medical institutions, training insitutes and organisations so that we can exchange the knowledge and skills that we have acquired and add value to the medical systems in African countries. Link: African Nurses/Pfleger in Germany

Lucy Wanjiku, Visionary/ CEO Tumaini e.V. Hamburg & Tumaini gGmbH Hamburg Curative Educator Coach and Speak
Lucy Wanjiku is the CEO of Tumaini e.V. and Tumaini gGmbH in Hamburg. Having worked in the aviation sector in Germany, Lucy had to change her career drastically to learn some new upbringing methods to raise her 12 Yrs old daughter who is differently able. Lucy volunteered to work in the disability sector and joined an inclusive daycare where she took care of her own daughter. After gaining the experience, she decided to enrol herself for evening classes and graduated as a curative educator (Heilpädagogin). In 2010, together with other Africans in the diaspora, Lucy founded Tumaini e. V., a registered organization in Hamburg. Tumaini's main goal is to integrate children who are differently able through education, counseling and support for those affected, their family members and friends. To further reach out to many families, Lucy founded Tumaini gGmbH in 2022, a company that offers different outpatient services for families and integration help for children who are differently able. The company also offers education support for the youth and minors. Lucy believes in continued growth and is currently working on launching a multilingual / inclusive daycare to accommodate children who are able and different able. Lucy is a transformation coach and speaker in corporate and social Institutions. Link: www.tumaini-ev.de/

DR. Juliet Shali Shambi (Returnee) Customer Solution Advisor, SAP Africa
Dr. Juliet Shali Shambi is a senior solution advisor at SAP Africa. Dr. Shali successfully relocated back to Kenya after completing her studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Köln and Heilbronn in Germany. She is an Industry and Customer Solution Advisor at SAP SE, responsible for customer success, growth and adoption of SAP Human Experience Management (HXM) solutions in Africa. As a woman in tech ambassasor, Dr. Shali is keen on empowering bright minds to get access to opportunities and helping them uncover their potential. “Mentoring is a way of giving back to the community and being able to guide people who are unsure about what direction they wish to take in their lives. It's an opportunity for me to serve the world in an area I can make an impact and it fills me with purpose.

Dr. Samuel Chege (Returnee) Senior Research Scientist, Microsoft Africa Research Institute
Dr. Chege is a Senior Researcher at the Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI) in Nairobi Kenya. His research seeks to leverage science and innovation to impact product development and the society. He is passionate about understanding, developing, and deploying technologies that will address challenges in the areas of financial inclusion, agriculture, and climate & sustainability. Prior to his current role, Samuel held different roles with IBM Research Africa, Nairobi Kenya and EON Energy (Uniper) in Düsseldorf Germany. He is also an Adjunct faculty member with Strathmore University, Nairobi. Dr. Chege is a holder of a PhD in Mathematical Finance from the University of Technology, Sydney Australia, MSc in Financial Mathematics from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Germany and a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Germano Mugambi (Returnee) Power System Engineer/Analyst \| DAAD Doctoral Researcher
Germano is a highly motivated Electrical Engineer passionate about energy efficiency and power system stability with large integration of Renewable Energy Resources (mainly wind and solar power). After graduating from Egerton University with a BSc in Electrical Engineering, I secured the KAAD Scholarship for a master of science in Electrical Engineering with a specialisation in power systems from the University of Rostock-Germany. After his master's degree, Germano relocated back to Kenya to contribute to knowledge transfer and support the brain gain concept. After my return, I worked at Egerton university as a research assistant in the area of the power system. While at Egerton, I was able to initiate a partnership between Egerton University and IAESTE global. I learned about IAESTE while I was a student in Germany. I also initiated the formation of the IAESTE Kenya chapter. The IAESTE board officially admitted the chapter during the 2021 annual seminar held in Austria. Besides my role at Egerton Univesity, I run an electrical contractor company that carries out electrical installation works, power system studies, and designs. I am also a licensed electrician by EPRA and a Certified Energy Manager by AEE. However, to carry out large power system studies, I need to expand my knowledge and skills, which has motivated me to pursue my Ph.D. in power systems with DAAD support. My goal is to become a thematic leader in Kenya in the field of electrical power systems. Kenya is expanding its national grid, which will see many non-conventional sources of power being integrated. Integrating these non-conventional sources has challenges that demand critical analysis of the system to build a robust and reliable grid.

Timothy Tiri, Architect Head of Light Industrial Design & Engineering, Monochrom Architekten
Timothy Tiri is an Architect and Head of Light Industrial Design and Engineering at Monochrom Architekten of Areal Consulting GmbH main office based in Mainz. “I believe creation is a powerful skill, an intriguing ability evolving from our originalities and perspectives. By formulating our own unique creations, we endeavour to create a parallel between our imagination and the world we live in. My passion for architecture acts as a catalyst for inspiration and thus provides me with a prominent sense of ambition and desire to keep striving”. Timothy has 11 years of experience and is a two-time award-winning Architect in Germany. He practices Architecture in Kenya as well and to top it as a contractor, a one- stop shop for any matters related with construction and real estate. Having studied in Bsc Architecture in Kenya, Timothy relocated to Germany and pursued a Graduate Diploma in Architecture at Dessau Institute of Architecture and later Master of Landscape Architecture at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. Timothy is very focused on educating Africans in the diaspora about smart investments in their country of origin currently focusing on Kenya. Being that link that diaspora have looking for when going about development is his main aim and mission. Link: /www.mchrm.de