Life at VSO: Catherine Mwangi

Catherine Mwangi has been working at VSO for the past nine years, implementing projects in Kenya that create meaningful change for some of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in the region. Here is her story.

How did you first get into the non-profit sector and what compelled you to take this path? 

"I’m a trained secondary school teacher by background, and when I was in university for my bachelor's degree, I only envisioned myself graduating and stepping into a classroom. That was it. But then, just as I was about to complete my degree, an organisation called Fellowship of Christian Union approached me and asked if I was willing to join them for volunteer work.

From this conversation, I then started my post-university journey as a volunteer, working as a peer counsellor for young people at just 23 years old in Nakuru, Kenya. I loved the fact that young people just needed someone to listen as they shared their ambitions and aspirations. 

Through this experience, I realised that I didn’t necessarily have to go back to the classroom and follow the conventional route. Maybe this was where I was meant to be. I continued with the organisation for a whole year between 2003 and 2004, and when my time was up, they asked me if I wanted to do another year with them, and I said yes.

However, this time things were slightly different. They sent me to Norway for a Peace Corp programme that brought together young people from 25 different countries. It is in Norway that my career compass started to align with realities in the world and what needed to be done to alleviate development and humanitarian crisis that faced most world populations.

I was privileged to participate in the 2005 Millennium Development Goals Conference in Oslo where the goals were officially launched and country commitments documented.

This conference thrust me into the development world and my life has never been the same again. Not to mention the one in a lifetime opportunity where I got to be in the same venue with the late Professor Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan political activist, as she received her Nobel Peace Prize. It was a glorious moment for the Kenyans in Oslo at the time I have lots of fond memories from these celebrations.

After Norway, I returned home, and Fellowship of Christian Union asked if I wanted to do more. They seconded me to Kakuma Refugee Camp, one of the biggest refugee camps in East Africa, hosting asylum seekers from Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and several other countries — about 11 nationalities in total.

I went there as a teacher, helping women and community leaders learn English as a foreign language so they could communicate in an international space where humanitarian workers primarily used English. Many of them came from Francophone and other non-English-speaking backgrounds. 

It was in Kakuma that I truly saw what was happening in the humanitarian sector, and that’s how I transitioned into the non-profit world. I can’t give you a straightforward answer because it wasn’t an overnight decision. It was a gradual process that took about three years. 

How long did that project in Kakuma last, and how did it lead you to VSO? 

When Fellowship of Christian Union sent me to Kakuma Refugee Camp, I was seconded to an organisation called Windle Trust International (WTI), where I worked as an English foreign language teacher.

This was my third year as a volunteer, after which WTI absorbed me as a full-time employee since they loved what I was doing. I stayed for another four years, making a total of five years working in the humanitarian sector. Working there shaped my career goals and made me realise I wanted to do more towards reducing suffering and making the camp a better space. 

That’s when I decided to transition into development work. I moved to Plan International as an Education Programme Manager.

Later, I took a job with Goal Ireland, and then transitioned to Concern Worldwide. While at Concern Worldwide, I joined several national policy networks, including one focused on disability inclusion. This is where I first came across VSO, which I joined VSO in 2016 after applying for a Education Programme Manager position.

What has your journey been like at VSO and how has your role evolved over time? 

To give you a glimpse, up to 2015, VSO didn’t have a clear programme framework in education. There were various projects here and there, but what the organisation needed at that time was someone to develop a signature education programme for VSO Kenya. 

My first six months were focused on developing that programme. One of the things I love about VSO is how well-networked it is.

I worked closely with Ezekiel Esipisu, our current Head of Programme Development and Policy team and his team; brainstorming what the education programme should look like. We conducted a situation and context analysis across Kenya to determine the needs, VSO’s niche, and where we should plug in.

The result was a robust signature program with tailored interventions, particularly in including educationally marginalised children. Through our analysis, we knew that: 

• Children with disabilities needed targeted support to return to school and access social protection services. 
• Adolescent girls were dropping out of school due to pregnancy or early marriages. We needed a protective intervention to ensure they returned to safe learning spaces. 
• Policy-level engagement was critical. There was significant work to be done in advocating for sector policies for persons and children with disabilities. For example: lobbying for the government to implement the “Return to School” policy for out of school girls, and closing the gap in how the Ministry of Education provided disaster risk reduction measures to avert crisis in learning institutions.

After four years, I transitioned into a Project Implementation Lead role which I am in now. At that time, several of us in the Senior Management Team were encouraged to explore project implementation roles. I expressed interest, went through the assessment process, and got the job. Since then, it has been exciting to look at VSO’s programming in Kenya from a different perspective, beyond just one thematic area. It’s been an incredible journey that I can't wait to continue on.

If someone reading your story is considering a career shift or aiming for a leadership role, what advice would you give them? 

I’d say that leadership is about people. So, if you want to step into leadership, strong interpersonal skills become very important.

When I reflect on my daily work, I often think, “What did I accomplish today?", and most of the time, my answer would be, "I met with this person, I engaged with that person”. Leadership is about constant engagement with people as you listen and lead them towards maximising on their potential.

Leadership is not just management. Management can be done behind a computer, but leadership means influencing people, inspiring change, and driving action. That alone is a huge responsibility — and people need to fully understand what that means before stepping into leadership.

Apart from that, accountability is crucial. Ask yourself to what extent do you want to be accountable, and not just to the people you lead, but also to myself and the systems around you. As a leader, you must be externally focused sharing your space, influence, and vision with others. At the end of the day, everything comes back to people.

Whether you are leading for an organisation or for yourself, you are still working with, influencing, and being influenced by people. For me, that’s the key to strong leadership. 

What is it in this role that gives back to you, that empowers and enriches you? 

One thing that is truly fulfilling for me is my passion for equality. Working with a diverse team of leaders in a concerted and positive environment is what gives me confidence that I am in the right space. 

I learnt early on the need to remain firm and fair in decision-making and support to those around me. This has enabled me to objectively lead the team within organisational policies and frameworks. It has also allowed me to question internal processes that would jeopardise the very mission the people under me are striving to achieve.

We do have an awesome leadership at VSO that listens and takes into consideration the feedback we provide which is truly remarkable. I don’t want to boast, but I have received positive feedback on this fair and inclusive kind of leadership which really boosts my morale. 

We ensure that everyone is heard, that we do our best to meet people's needs, and that communication is timely and transparent. Of course, there will always be gaps here and there, but we make a conscious effort to sustain this culture of fairness and open communication—and that makes me feel great. 

What brings you joy outside of work? 

I am a mother of three boys—aged 14, 11, and 4. And let me tell you, my 4-year-old is a full-time job on his own!

Outside of work, I spend a lot of time with my kids, helping with homework, playing, and watching movies together.

For me, my best moments are when I have my quiet time, just being by myself, listening to my thoughts and body, and making decisions about what I truly want. Those moments are rare, so I have to create them intentionally, and I cherish them."

Read more in the Life at VSO series here.