Teresa Maina – Profile

Rwanda

Name: Teresa W. MainaMaina picture.
Country: Kenya and Rwanda
Email: maina.teresa@gmail.com
Birthday: November 06, 1987
Education: Bachelor of Commerce (Finance and Economics) – Kenyatta University
Occupation: Senior Auditor

Please describe your vision of a world that works for everyone.

A world where we have faith in our leaders, a world where we can influence others, a world where everyone is heard. A world where there is contact, connectivity and community in the society which are the missing strands of humanity in the world today. A world where everyone is involved in policy making, a world where every one is given equal opportunities and allowed to achieve the maximum potential. Finally a world where everyone realises that love is the most important thing in the world.

What do you see as the most pressing problems facing the world today?

I would like to quote Gandhi 1925 insight, the most pressing problems facing the world today can be categorised into seven areas.

1. Wealth without work – the culture of greed, the thought of consuming without consequence.
2. Pleasure without conscience – we take our pleasures whenever we want, with whoever we want, we take our pleasures as we find them as all privileged people do, without taking thought of the consequences.
3. Knowledge without character – We have so much knowledge, we know a lot we learn a lot, do we use it with reflection, do we realise the potency of knowledge, of the transformative power it can have, do we use it for the betterment of the common good of our biosphere, do we use it to increase the wealth of the 7billion people on earth to whom we are genetically connected.
4. Worship without sacrifice – What sacrifice to we when we pray. Do we pray for the betterment of others or for the betterment of ourselves?
5. Science without humanity – Do we apply what we learnt on a greater scale to advance humanity and human principles.
6. Commerce without morality.
7. Politics without principle.

These were the problems that were identified in 1925 by Gandhi, and his insight is true today. We have continued to suffer the same problems because of a culture of greed, a culture of violence and a culture of selfishness which has blocked the culture of love, community connection and caring.

How do you feel these problems could best be solved?

Our social problems are gigantic in scale. We need gigantic responses to them.
As Gandhi puts it we need to understand the suffering of others, give wings to those who are falling, abandon ego and pride and serve the divinity within all. If people can open their hearts to each other and love each other, cast away fear which limits us, shun away cynicisms and finally making truth the guiding light.

But with a bitter truth to all this am a die hard capitalist and I believe only capitalism (controlled capitalism can solve our social problems. We blame capitalism for creating huge inequities in our society, and then we refuse to allow the “nonprofits” sector to use the tools of capitalism to rectify them. Business will move the great masses of humanity forward with advancements in pharmaceuticals, materials, process, and technology “All Entrepreneurship Is Social,” the fashionable new term “social business” in some ways “diminishes the contributions of regular entrepreneurs; people who create thousands of jobs, improve the quality of goods and services available to consumers, and ultimately raise standards of living.”

We should try and tell a different story, a story of hope, a story of promise. We become the stories we tell ourselves and tell the world. We should begin to tell the world a story of possibilities. We can change society if we change our stories. If we continue to spread the stories of violence, ethnicity etc we will get that the more. We need to be able to change our mindset.

Profile

I have many interests: Public finance, Economic development, Economic policy, reading, psychology, travelling, and hiking. My dreams: I have always dreamt of helping people in society, being a force of influence towards shaping society, I have always being drawn to different subjects, but they were all where careers that allowed me to be in contact with people. I am currently a senior auditor at one of the big four financial firms in the world. I watch many movies and I don’t have a favorite movie per se’ I was born in a village in central province of Kenya. I studied in a public school up to the age of 7 where we studied for half a day. When I was seven years old my parent moved us to a study in a better private school 100 kilometers away from home. We lived with a house helps for most of the time and got to see our parents after about three months every year. Latter I moved to high school at the age of 13 in the Rift valley of Kenya about 200kilometters further away from home. I graduated and was admitted to Kenyatta University to study Bachelor of commerce majoring in finance and economics. I have had a deep rooted interest in public policy and economics and I found myself participating actively in Model of United nations, Presidents award Scheme and Aiesec. I have received a Gold award from My President, His Excellency Mwai Kibaki. My President is my role model he has done an amazing job for our country.

After my University degree I was hired by an audit firm PKF east Africa where I worked for 2years. Latter I was hired at Ernst & Young to work as a senior auditor. I have had a chance to travel a lot which is the one thing I love the most about my job. In 2010 I company known as a lunch investment group. I currently work and live in Rwanda and it’s a great opportunity to work in a developing country, to work and experience new cultures. I love reading and my house is full of books. Am currently reading vulnerable families, vulnerable children. I have read books such as the secret; Have a little faith, 48 laws of power, the art of happiness and many others.

My story is long but over the years I have learnt a lot, I stopped seeking validation, and I become successful at one thing, being me. I have learnt that in life you don’t need seek for approval or validation from people, you don’t have to be right, you don’t have to get likes or comments, and you don’t need acceptance. You need wisdom, facts, breaking news, new knowledge, healthy mature unassuming debates and hopefully you will make a few good quality friends. It’s been said that, what the superior man seeks in himself is what the small man seeks in others. I don’t need anyone to put me on a pedestal, I don’t need praise, I don’t need validation or approval, Knowing who I am and my weakness is great, it has enabled me to live a very fulfilling life, has increased my faith.

I don’t know what to say except I’d be delighted to be given this opportunity, I’ve always dreamed of an opportunity like this.

Click Here to Read My Book Assessments

Books Completed:

As A Man Thinketh
Jonathan Livingston Seagull