At the Coalface
At the Coalface is a series of conversations hosted by Philippe Rose.
Philippe's guests share stories about their life beyond the headlines of international affairs. They look for lessons learned about making an impact in the world as practitioners in diplomacy, international organisations, NGOs, journalism and the private sector.
Many of Philippe's guests are connected by their common experience of taking time away from work to attend Fletcher School's Global Master of Arts Programme.
At the Coalface
Hital Muraj - The power of technology to help the disadvantaged dream, a Kenyan story of acceptance
In this episode, I speak with Hital Muraj. Hital grew up in Kenya as a 4th generation Indian in a well-to-do setting. But hers is a story of riches to rags, as her family suddenly ended up on the street. As a teenager, she had to drop out of school to earn a living. Hital shares how she eventually found her way into an IT career in Cisco, a position she used to bring access to technology to disadvantaged communities.... people like the girl she was when she lost everything. We talk about how technology can make an impact on education, health, but most importantly, on people’s mindsets, helping them dream new dreams. Hital shares her struggle with identity as a Kenyan who is often labeled an outsider because of her appearance, and her coming full circle now she’s pursuing a master’s degree, after a life spent with an unfinished a high school diploma.
Recorded on 8 September 2023.
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Connect with Hital on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/hital-muraj and on X (Twitter) @HitalMuraj.
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