There are some people who are destined to serve. In their growing desire to aid more people, they receive a sense of fulfillment. For Lawrence Muli, his desire to serve has taken him to over 74 countries and we can only imagine how many passports he’s had. But while he presently enjoys the work he does as the Programmes Lead at The Commonwealth Secretariat, his personal journey to service is still vivid in his mind.
Lawrence was born into a Christian family in Imara Daima, Nairobi, in January of 1987. He attended Plainsview Primary School and with the energy that stems from early years he flourished in all ways possible. He ponders on his restlessness that was noted by everyone in his family. When he wasn’t plucking at guitar strings or fondling with other instruments, he was outdoors playing football or at chatting with neighbourhood kids. His energy was so loud that he earned the nickname “Kamuna” ‘from his grandmother – which is equated to the relentless one – a cartoon – because only the latter had as much vitality as he did.
But as Lawrence played hard, he also ensured that as much effort was put into school work. He was the fourth of five children, and his mother made sure each child strived to excel in school. There was, however, one rule that superseded the rest – Church and his personal relationship with God were important.
On completing his KCPE, Lawrence emerged the best performer in Swahili in Nairobi. He was one of around nine students nationally who performed exceptionally well in the language subject. He later joined Dagoretti High School, shining in the various social clubs and playing basketball (despite his height constraint) and embarked on his first leadership role as the Chairperson of the school’s Christian Union. Needless to say, at the end of his high school period, he was, yet again, a top performer. This time in Religious Studies. After high school, Lawrence yearned to keep busy while he waited to join campus. He enrolled at PETREM Bible School where he fostered his understanding of Christianity, and ultimately, found his calling to serve God as a Teacher of the Word and Evangelist. He participated in a plethora of community outreach programs, interacting and working with different people across Kenya and joined The Masters Commission at the International Christian Center (ICC) his Nairobi home church. Community programs didn’t just allow him to travel to literally all parts of Kenya but eventually to other countries in Africa such as Mozambique, Malawi and the Four East Africa states where he focused on Christian missionary work, volunteering and community development.
Lawrence joined Kenyatta University in 2006. He had an enviable resume but he was also eager to acquire further knowledge. At KU, Lawrence got more grounded in understanding his passion. He joined and was part of the leadership team for the campus Environmental Club and was, in his third year, appointed as the Secretary General of the KU Model United Nations. With all these hats, Lawrence still made time to unwind. He joined a band called ‘The Journey’ a contemporary Christian fellowship that shared God’s love through community, spirituality and cultural engagement; and here he played the Bass Guitar and Piano in the Weekly Friday Evening Band
Essentially, the many roles served their purpose and strengthened Lawrence’s people skills. It all paid off when he secured an internship at UNEP which, after six months, turned into a volunteer role. Lawrence graduated from Kenyatta University with a degree in Environmental Science.
With his impeccable work experience, he immediately secured a job at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa where he worked for 4 years and transitioned into consultancies with various UN Systems including UNECA and UNESCO. The AU job saw him among the first ever 7 young African volunteers who were commissioned to represent Africa doing humanitarian work in Tsunami hit regions north-eastern Japan for 6 months, a life-changing experience he treasures daily engaging with Tsunami victims teaching English and community development work.
His passion for service to others was fostered and the fulfillment that came from his time abroad made an impact in his understanding of diversity and acceptance of people and cultures. When Lawrence came back home, he heard of a vacancy at The Commonwealth. The job description matched his interests and lined with his desire and so he applied.
As the new Programmes Lead at The Commonwealth Youth Programme, Lawrence had to move to London. His tenure here has been outstanding, and for him – enjoyable. In his heart, he believes that his journey to his present success has been guided by faith. “Everything falls into place when my belief in God is intact.” And although he hasn’t yet gotten to his millionth mile, the thousand or more miles thus far has been exceptional.
We thank Lawrence, for his drive towards community, and for his dedication to service.
