Winnie Chepkemoi Mutai

I am humbled beyond words!To be a voice of Green Economy, Climate Finance, and Sustainability among these giants. Took me many days to say YES! And humbled to see these bill boards today. To God be Glory,I am just his vessel. See you soon! #GratefulGirl# #GirlfullofLove#

Something I know (but still underestimate): Your environment shapes your entire reality. The people you surround yourself with determine your outcomes. Surround yourself with people who are constantly talking about the past, you'll be stuck in it. Surround yourself with people thinking big about the future, you'll build a bright one. Spend time with people who encourage you to think bigger. Who believe you’re capable of more. A person is either holding you back or pushing you forward. There is no in between.

Today @MoLFR_SO officially launched #ACALS project delivering climate-resilient technologies & livelihood support for pastoralists, farmers, women & youth in Somalia. Funded by @AfDB_Group, implemented by @WFPSomalia & @UNOPS_Somalia🇸🇴

One of the most powerful things you can do for your life is learn how to be alone. Not lonely. Just comfortable with your own thoughts, your own plans, and your own direction. Because the moment you stop needing constant validation, you become extremely dangerous.

A quote I fall back on in hard times… “Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul except sin. God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.”   — St. Francis de Sales

90% of the time I don't feel like going to the gym but I still do it. I've gone enough times to know I'll feel like shit if I don't.

This is a story about my father, parenting, and my rule for the strongest relationships in life… When I was 12 years old, I tried out for a baseball all-star team in our area. I really wanted to make this team. The tryouts were my first adventure beyond the confines of my small town. An opportunity to see how I stacked up against kids from all around the state. When the results came out, the coaches called my house. They were taking 16 players for the team...and I was the 17th on the list. I was devastated. It was my first real experience with failure. Something I wanted, worked towards, and came up short. I went into my room, sat on my bed, and cried. A few minutes later, my dad walked in. He sat down on the bed next to me. After a few minutes of silence, he offered a few words: “I know you’re upset. I understand. It sucks. But here are the three things the coaches said you needed to work on. Let’s go out every day this summer and work on them. Together.” And we did. I’d patiently wait for him to get home from work, holding our gloves, a bucket of balls, and a bat. He took me to the local field damn near every single day that summer. I’m sure there were days when he didn’t want to. When he was exhausted from work or travel, but it never showed. And I came back the next year a completely different player. Years later, when I got a scholarship to play baseball at Stanford, I still thought back to that one summer as the turning point. But it was more than the practice that was the real turning point. It was what my dad said in those moments as we sat on my bed, with tears streaming down my face—and how he followed through on it every day that followed. He had two options when he walked into my room and sat next to me. Option 1: Tell me the coaches were idiots. I was the best player. They had made a mistake. They didn’t know what they were doing. Option 2: Acknowledge the pain. Tell the truth about the opportunity in the failure. And be there to support the work to meet that opportunity. Honestly, in that moment, I probably wanted Option 1. It would have made me feel better. It would have told me that the world was the problem. That an external thing was to blame. That I was great. Option 2 was the tough pill to swallow. But also the right one. I believe that the strongest relationships in life stand on two pillars: The first is high expectations. The belief that the other person is capable of excellence. That their potential is only limited by their own views. The willingness to tell the truth about that opportunity and the work required to meet it. The second is high support. The ability and willingness to provide the love, support, and engagement to help the other person meet those high expectations. A lot of relationships fall short of this standard. They hit one pillar, but miss the other. Low expectations and high support will provide comfort, but no growth. High expectations and low support may spark short-term growth, but breed long-term resentment. Sir Isaac Newton famously said: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” It’s a beautiful line, but I think it leaves out the part that matters most. The giants had to bend down. They had to choose to provide energy to lift him. That’s exactly what my dad did the night I didn’t make that all-star team. He didn’t lower his shoulders to the level of my disappointment. He didn’t tell me the high heights didn’t matter. He told me that I was capable of the climb—and then he gifted me with his attention and energy to help complete it. I think about this constantly now. This, to me, is the highest calling in our relationships: To create an environment of high expectations with those we love and show up to support them to meet (and exceed) those expectations we’ve set. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot as a father. I hope it resonated with you.

From vision to reality, Unoa Comprehensive School is now a model of transformation in Wote, Makueni County. Mama Rachel Ruto commissioned upgraded classrooms, playground works, a kitchen garden and a 10,000 litre per hour borehole delivering clean water and renewed hope for learners and surrounding community. Mama Rachel Ruto commissioned classrooms, playground, kitchen garden and 10,000 litre borehole delivering clean water and hope. @MamaRachelRuto

Reminder: If you avoid even the potential for embarrassment, mistakes, failure, humiliation, or ridicule, you are really avoiding the potential for success.

Kalenjin women can be diverse and very flexible.If you live in a town she will be the town girl,the party animal and the long nails diva. The same woman in the village is pure Kienyeji "Chesiliot" . She will milk the cows and whistle vehemently like no man's business. Weekends they puddle cow dung and smear the house,masoners per excellence! They also sleep with hens in the kitchen,no face time She will dress in an oversized torn T-shirt, looking homeless and shouting at every person across the fence."Oamune,kokiitu ain! Hail great queens!❤️

I love doing hard things. Because if you try enough hard things you eventually uncover your meaningful struggle. A struggle you can fall in love with. Joy in chaos. True flow. The hard-earned win. That's where you find the magic of life. And it all starts with embracing the hard.

If you want to stand out, just do the old fashioned things well: - Be on time - Be well read - Practice good posture - Look people in the eye - Do what you say you'll do - Have a confident handshake Few live up to this standard. It will never go out of style.

It’s very hard to lose the day if you wake up at 5am and work out.

In order to lead and succeed, you must be willing to be uncomfortable. You must be able to hold yourself, and others, accountable. Growth doesn’t happen in the comfort zone. Your job is to grow people and that growth comes with a cost. I’m reminded of Kirby Smart’s 3 Cost of Great Leadership: 1) You will have to make hard decisions that negatively affect the people you care about 2) You will be disliked despite your best attempts to do the best for the most 3) You will be misunderstood and won’t always have the opportunity to defend yourself. Leadership costs, and it’s expensive, but it’s crucial for growth & success. Do what’s best for your people and help them to grow in every area. It’s your responsibility & duty to do so. Set the standard. Help others to Rise to the Standard!

Great teammates and partners build trust with their people. Small, intentional actions have a tremendous compound effect. The best teams & organizations are built upon trust and a shared belief. Everyone is aligned and moving the needle forward, not caring who gets the credit. It’s a Team over Me mentality. By elevating others, you’re also elevating your leadership & individual performance. The most successful teams & organizations are connected ones. Find small, intentional ways to connect your people and help them see & feel their value. Everyone is rowing together, striving for the same mission and executing the vision!

Whoever said having a kid was the end of your fun clearly never had a kid.

The smartest people I know all have this in common: They change their minds often. It’s not a weakness, being wishy-washy, or a sign of flaky beliefs. It’s proof that their ego doesn’t outrank new information. The goal isn't to be right, it's to get it right.

1/4: Penning this as I enjoy the serene post-retirement views… still very much in my appreciation mood 😊 After 34 years and 8 months at the @AfDB_Group, I find myself reflecting on the people who made every single day worth showing up for. First — my front office team. 👇

As the countdown to my departure advanced, many colleagues reached out via phone calls, emails, WhatsApp messages, and visits; some brought gifts. I was deeply touched by the show of love and affection from all and sundry, those far and near.

The best advice I got in my 20s: Nobody cares. Nobody is thinking about you. They’re too busy thinking about themselves. Go do the thing.

The best thing you can do in life, is not squander it. Do everything you want to do. Solve the riddles of getting where you want to be, Take risks, take the chance, and grab life by the throat. You have one shot. Go get everything you want.