Boss' Rare Offer That Turned Julie Gichuru Into Media Success

Media personality Julie Gichuru.
Media personality Julie Gichuru.
File

Media personality Julie Gichuru opened up on a rare chance she got that inadvertently led to her success in the media profession.

In a long post on her social media platforms on Monday, March 2, Gichuru narrated that around 12 years back, she worked for a media house that had the vision to be 'a media of Africa for Africa'.

Despite her taking the vision and struggling to make it a reality, she found it hard because of what she called a lack of interest from the leadership to pursue the idea.

Not long after, however, she narrated that the managing editor in the newsroom identified as Wangethi Mwangi was invited to the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF-A) meeting but could not attend as he had other commitments.

Wangethi Mwangi being sworn in as a member of the Media Complaint Commission on November 18, 2016 at the High Court, Milimani
Wangethi Mwangi being sworn in as a member of the Media Complaint Commission on November 18, 2016 at the High Court, Milimani
Daily Nation

While the opportunity was golden for her, she established that such high-profile invites were not transferrable between people and thus the fight began to have an exception made by the summit organizers.

"I emailed the Forum and sent them my profile asking if I could attend on his behalf. The answer was affirmative. And so my exploration of African economies, society, leadership, and governance began," she wrote.

Julie further stated that when she started her African tours after the summit, people she did not know before started taking note of her efforts and approached her with multiple opportunities.

One of her biggest breaks, however, came in 2008, when she received a call from the late Tanzanian philantropist Ali Mufuruki offering her another opportunity.

"I received a call from Ali Mufuruki in Tanzania, he said he was moved and impressed by my passionate advocacy for peace and non-violent action following the elections.

"He was nominating me as a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative/Aspen Global Leadership Network. This heralded my active journey into a deeper understanding of self, society, global geopolitics and Africa," she gushed.

Gichuru further revealed that until she met Mufuruki and took advantage of the forum he offered her, she had only been to two countries in Africa, a matter that changed soon after.

Media personality Julie Gichuru poses for a photo.
Media personality Julie Gichuru poses for a photo.
File

"In just over a decade I have been on an incredible journey of learning, engagement and discovery. I have travelled across the continent, from the North to the South, the West to the East.

"I have been humbled by what I did not know, even as I learnt more about this great, diverse, energetic, challenging and incredible continent, Africa," she narrated.

Gichuru has had an illustrious career in media that has seen her rub shoulders with the who's who across the globe and has moderated in various talk platforms not only in  the country but also abroad.

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