A conversation with Wanjiru
Wanjiru, thanks so much for coming on today. Please take a moment to share about your background and studies and what you are currently doing.
Thank you so much for having me, it’s an absolute pleasure. I am from Nairobi, the city under the sun quite literally. I am also one of the newest lawyers in the city having completed my undergraduate degree in law a while back at Strathmore University. I am currently at the Kenya School of Law for my postgraduate diploma in law. I am really excited to join the bar next year. I also work part-time with Effective Altruism for Christians as a content editor and as a Researcher with Animal Welfare League based in Ghana.
Have you always wanted to be a lawyer, or was there a time you wanted to do something different?
As a child, the ambit of all the things I could do was limitless but with time my strong sense of justice and the need to help others which have always weighed heavily on me eventually led me to pursue law. I am hoping through this journey I will be a voice for many not just in courtrooms but in different areas of life.
“I would love to make steps toward creating effective policies as well as accountability mechanisms for institutions at large and consequently improve the economic well-being of the Global South.”
What would be your dream career as a lawyer?
I would be excited to venture into either economic empowerment or policy reform specifically in the global south. The institutions we have in the global South are sadly characterized by incompetence, mismanagement, and corruption consequently leading to continuous impoverishment in Africa at large. I would love to make steps toward creating effective policies as well as accountability mechanisms for institutions at large and consequently improve the economic well-being of the Global South. Make the system finally work for us.
What is your faith background? What role has Christ played a role in your life? What connection would you draw between your faith and your career?
I am thankful to have been born in a Christian home and just brought up learning the principles of Christianity, However, it wasn’t until I joined Highschool that I really understood what it meant to really be a Christian and to have a personal relationship with Christ. Before that, faith was more of a tradition or rather an obligation I had to fulfill on a day-to-day basis because I was brought up that way. Looking back at how I got saved now I would say my journey with Christ since then has been nothing short of God’s amazing grace. Everything I am, I owe it to God, He is the great I am.
“[T]he Bible says God is a just God and purposes that everything works for our good, I would like to think He is the one who placed the weight of helping others and the strong sense of justice on me leading me to pursue law.”
On the connection between my faith and career, the Bible says God is a just God and purposes that everything works for our good, I would like to think He is the one who placed the weight of helping others and the strong sense of justice on me leading me to pursue law. Also looking at the scripture’s emphasis on loving your neighbor as much as you love yourself, I think pursuing law to help others is my way of loving neighbors and definitely a fulfillment of my calling.
How did you hear about effective altruism?
The first time I heard of Effective Altruism was in an email sent to us by a lecturer who was recruiting people for an introductory program. I never took any interest until I had a conversation with a friend of mine who was part of the introductory program. She had nothing but wonderful things to say about it so I took an interest and pursued it even further seeing that it aligned with a lot of the principles I have always lived by. What particularly stood out to me was the commitment to use evidence to figure out how to do good better. Many times we do our research when it comes to purchasing literally anything but we are not keen to follow up on how funds we donate are used and what impact they have. If I can research the benefits of a serum I am about to purchase online then why not do it when I am trying to help someone?
You mentioned that you had perceived your faith to be more of an obligation earlier what about doing good? When you think about doing good do you think of it as an obligation as well?
Definitely! As Christians, we are stewards of what God has bestowed upon us be it time, health, wealth, and resources and we should extend a helping hand where we can. However, as much as it is a responsibility it gives me much joy and satisfaction to extend myself and impact others’ lives even in the slightest bit.
“[EA] has supplemented my understanding of stewardship as a Christian in that I want to have an impact and one way one can be sure that impact has been made is by referring to evidence.”
How would you define effective altruism and how does it help you deepen your understanding of stewardship?
I would define it as doing good better using evidence. Effective altruism is consistent with the teachings of stewardship in scripture which is something that I definitely commend. It has supplemented my understanding of stewardship as a Christian in that I want to have an impact and one way one can be sure that impact has been made is by referring to evidence. Being a result-based person and a lawyer, evidence excites me a lot.
What do you find difficult about effective altruism?
At first, I found it difficult to separate my emotions from taking actions that would be impactful. With time and research, I have learned to appreciate my emotions but be mindful of them as they could end up being counterproductive specifically when I want to do good.
Having grown up in this side of the world I find some of the cause areas advocated for by effective altruism to be novel and somewhat strange. For instance, animal welfare, and eating meat in certain celebrations or occasions is an integral part of African culture, and persuading people to stop this practice and instead resort to veganism would not make sense to most Africans. Not to say that Animal welfare solely advocates for veganism there is so much more to it but that seems to be the message that mostly comes across.
Some cause areas are also not relatable to people in Africa. Longtermism and AI are such examples. Most people have no access to smartphones or the internet let alone 24-hour electrical power supply, how then do you begin to imagine that Artificial intelligence is an existential risk? It’s definitely a difficult conversation to have.
For aspects of life that EA that are relatable to Africa, would you say EA is making relevant steps towards such areas for example development and health? If not what would you like to see in such?
I would say there is notable work that the EA movement has done just by looking at the already existing feedback. However, there is always room to do more and to do it better. I would love to see more African EAs be part of the conversation when it comes to deliberating on the most effective interventions that ought to be employed in Africa. They have first-hand experience and hence a seat at the table would definitely push EA efforts and conversations even further. I would also love to see more efforts with regard to economic empowerment and women empowerment as well.
You recently went to the EA African Summit, how was that experience for you?
Allow me to first mention that it was actually the first EA conference to be held in Africa which is definitely encouraging but it also goes back to the issue of having Africans be part of the conversation. Still, I had a wonderful experience and it was interesting to see that we all shared the same thoughts even coming from different parts of the world. Very many wonderful connections and conversations well.
You’ve been conducting a Bible Study based on EA themes but drawing from scripture, what theme would you say stood out for you the most?
The Bible Study has been quite the highlight for me. The theme of Radical Grace really stood out for me, having people share how they have experienced God’s grace in their lives really encouraged me. It also challenged me in so many wonderful ways to extend grace to everyone regardless of how different our situations would be. The theme of impartiality brought out by the good samaritan parable was also another favorite of mine. I really look forward to conducting these sessions I never thought I would have in the first place.
Parting shot:
EA is doing a wonderful job, if everyone was committed to the vision of EA we would all be on the right track to making the world a better place. For Africa specifically, curating EA to fit in the African context would go a long way in growing the EA movement.