[Includes Video] Learn on for Chris’s story, then keep tuned for a video behind the scenes of his most up-to-date Kenya journey on the finish of this submit.
I by no means thought I’d find yourself portray a pc lab in rural Western Kenya for work — till Cisco made it doable.
I’ve been within the Cisco orbit for many of my profession — as a buyer, accomplice and even competitor. After becoming a member of as an worker, one of many greatest surprises was discovering a few of the superb packages that empower workers to present again. One profit, Time2Give, modified every part. It’s 80 hours of paid day without work annually to volunteer with causes that matter to us, along with our common paid day without work. My group didn’t simply enable me to make use of these hours — they actively supported and inspired me to take the time.
In consequence, I discovered myself over 7000 miles from residence on the Wema Academy, a rural college close to Bungoma, Kenya. With 500-plus college students, Wema’s mission is to teach, feed, and empower youngsters from the group. A nonprofit group referred to as Engineers With out Borders (EWB) had already been supporting clear water and renewable vitality initiatives on the campus for a number of years. As an present member of EWB since grad college, I had solely helped handle initiatives remotely and by no means thought I’d have the possibility to be a part of a journey group. When the chance got here, I didn’t hesitate.
The First Journey — “Welcome Dwelling”
After I arrived in Kenya, the college administrators greeted me with two phrases I’ll always remember: “Welcome residence.” As an African American who had by no means set foot on the continent of Africa, these phrases hit deeply. It wasn’t simply hospitality — it was belonging.
That journey was uncooked, difficult, and unimaginable. Whereas I used to be the one Cisco volunteer that 12 months, I had the privilege of working alongside skilled civil and environmental engineers. My mission? To rebuild Wema’s Data and Communications Expertise (ICT) facility — what most of us simply name a pc lab.
Besides the “laptop lab” turned out to be a big gritty room with solely three desktops that had been over a decade outdated, had no connection to the Web, and had been filled with sufficient mud to create a small desert. Earlier than I might even begin to consider bringing in new know-how, I noticed we must intestine your entire room. With slightly assist from employees and some college students, we patched cracks within the flooring, sealed water leaks within the roof, repaired damaged benches, and put a contemporary coat of paint on the partitions and desks. Lastly, I used to be in a position to arrange the seven donated laptops that my group painstakingly helped get by means of quite a few checkpoints inside backpacks.
The scholars’ curiosity made each minute value it. Rising up, a lot of what I noticed in media portrayed African youngsters as hungry or in want. Nevertheless, these college students weren’t in want of meals — they had been hungry for information. They needed to study computer systems, discover careers in tech, and perceive the world past their village. Each time I attempted to wrap up work for the day, they’d beg, “Can now we have laptop class tomorrow?”
And regardless of how drained I used to be, I all the time stated sure.
The Return — Turning One Mission right into a Motion
Once we left in 2023, the college administrators stated, “Come again — and subsequent time convey extra associates from Cisco.”
Whereas I had no concrete plan but, I promised to make it occur.
In 2025, we delivered on that promise. With the great help of EWB, Cisco Kenya, and Cisco’s Inclusive Communities — Related Black Professionals and Conexión — we returned to broaden the affect. As a group, we improved the ageing clear water system, expanded the photo voltaic system to energy your entire campus, added new computer systems for distant studying lessons, and flooded the darkish schoolyards with automated lighting so the women can stroll safely to the dorms at evening.
Belief me, it wasn’t simple. Between political protests, gradual provide chains, and loads of “make-do” moments, we discovered to improvise, adapt, and chuckle by means of all of it. However someplace between energy outages, portray classes, and late-night campus walks, we constructed greater than infrastructure — we constructed relationships.
Classes From Wema
What struck me most wasn’t what they lacked, however what they’ve: optimism, resilience, and pleasure. These college students don’t have telephones or quick Wi-Fi, however they’ve immense drive. Each handshake, each smile stated, “We’re able to be taught. Simply give us the possibility.” It makes you rethink what your “issues” actually are. In my nation, youngsters will complain about not having the newest thousand-dollar iPhone. In rural Kenya, youngsters are comfortable simply to have the possibility to be taught, join, and dream past their village.
Past these profound classes, Kenya supplied one other unforgettable expertise: a gaggle safari to Maasai Mara Nationwide Reserve on the finish of our journey. Watching giraffes, elephants, and lions roam free within the savannah whereas I used to be protected in my cage (aka Land Rover) was surreal. Kenya really flips your sense of the world in all the proper methods.
The Highway Forward
We’re not executed. In 2026, I plan to launch a mentorship program that pairs skilled Cisco workers with senior college students at Wema through Webex. As well as, I need to preserve the momentum alive by bringing extra Cisco teammates to Kenya and different communities that EWB serves in Africa and Latin America.
At Cisco, giving again can take you locations you by no means imagined — and join you to individuals who change your life in return.
