Alex Nyingi: I made a career out of his passion

Alex Nyingi is the philanthropies lead at Microsoft Kenya. PHOTO| COURTESY

Alex Nyingi is the philanthropies lead at Microsoft Kenya. His role includes leveraging technology to help non-profits achieve their missions.

 

Who qualifies to intern at Microsoft Kenya? What is the process?

Internship opportunities target young people at the final year of study or recent graduates and post graduates in multiple disciplines; and of added value is personal attributes such as collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking which are vital to succeed in the workplace.

One of the best ways to approach this is to set up a profile on: https://careers.microsoft.com/ so as to receive notifications on opportunities and proactively follow Microsoft social media sites.

How would you summarise your work with Microsoft so far?

I joined Microsoft as an intern in South Africa on an exchange program, and my first experience with Microsoft was with the interviewing process - the focus was on whether I had a learning attitude and could get the job done with little emphasis on my academic background.

I started off with a great manager and peers who on-boarded me to corporate philanthropy. Microsoft is a very dynamic organisation; from the people who work there to the desire of the organisation to achieve great things.

What do you think stands in the way of wholesome philanthropy in Kenya?

One thing is that each of us has something unique to offer to another individual and/or society in general; which is evident in Kenyans’ generosity in time of need.

From a corporate perspective, I think what is needed most is for Kenyan organisations to have deliberate long term philanthropic strategies that ride on the organisation’s unique strengths, and less focus on ad hoc philanthropy.

Every organisation should have a philanthropy strategy with a dedicated team driving it.

Are there deliberate steps that you took to bring you to the position you are in today?

At first glance I would say no. However, in retrospect YES. Looking back through my earlier days and through school, I was always volunteering, engaging and initiating initiatives that focused on finding new and better ways to impact people and the environment I lived in.

So, for me it’s simply a dream come true to work a in an area I’m passionate about. I also had a chance to take a short course while at Moi University that was being offered by an intergovernmental organisation on ‘Sustainable Competitiveness’ that helped me make some sense into corporate philanthropy and the non-profit sector.

Who has been the most influential person in the key career decisions that you have made?

It has taken diversity of persons and experiences to get where I am and be the person I am today. I learn every single day from colleagues and peers in the industry.

The organisations and individuals our interventions target are my biggest inspirations.

Additionally,  I am blessed to have supportive parents and siblings, my wife and kids who every day remind me why holistic development of the individual and society is what is needed for a better present and future.

What advice would you give to a young person getting into philanthropy and the non-profit area?

It is about passion and not just a job! It requires a lot of coordination and collaboration with others. You have to be well informed, not necessarily an expert in all things, but have a strong learning culture and be inquisitive.

You have to have a knack for looking into the future, based on past and present trends; since you need to be always operating a little ahead of what the current needs are so that your beneficiaries can utilise what you provide them well into the future.

How would you assess the impact of philanthropy in Kenya?

Without a doubt, philanthropy has had a great impact in Kenya. Nonetheless, data is scanty on impact, because most give informally and at whim.

It’s however important to note that philanthropic activities in Kenya genuinely transform peoples’ lives and challenges individuals, groups, organisations and the government to look differently at how to drive wholesome transformation.

What endears you to philanthropy?

From a Microsoft perspective, Corporate Philanthropy is about leveraging the greatest strengths using the latest technology to serve public good.

With this in mind, the continuous learning and interaction with people and ideas, some of which seem out of this world provide the required impact!

It gives me the opportunity to do what I’m passionate about and see how little investments and ideas can go a long way in bettering lives.

Did you always want to work in philanthropy?

Yes I did, though I didn’t think of it as being a possible career option, more so within a corporate organisation.

I had thought it was something I would do on the side of my main job, but now, I am glad that it is an available career option.

What other career you would be in?

I would most likely be in academia, teaching and, or researching, specifically in the field of special needs - another passion I have.

Do you have any unpleasant memory of your undergraduate days?

I had a great undergraduate, more so with the things I did outside class- in a positive way! I involved myself in youth-led organisations that put me on my path to learning more about myself at an early age and to my current career.

I always felt that the academic journey could have been a lot better if institutions of higher learning had a more multi-disciplinary approach to any course—allow a learner to combine subjects of their choice, making them multi-skilled individuals who are highly sought after in the market place.