SigEp Photo of the Week: Junaid Maknojia, California-Berkeley ’18
Meet brother Junaid Maknojia, California-Berkeley ’18! He recently visited Hell’s Gate National Park in Nairobi, an iconic location used in parts of the 1994 Disney movie The Lion King! Junaid is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in global poverty and practice and has been serving the people of Kenya this summer.
What were you doing in Kenya? “I was working on a women’s empowerment project with an NGO [Non-governmental agency] called Positive Life Kenya (PLK) for women in Nairobi that are HIV positive. I ran therapy sessions for different groups of women with HIV, helped create a market for their economic independence program, conducted home visits for struggling families in the City Carton and Kicheco slums, and occasionally taught the children in the Tumaini and Kiotani schools that PLK sponsors. On the weekends, I would work on the the organization informational and promotional video for awareness and just spend time with the host family.”
What has been your favorite part of your trip? “I would have to say that the combination of traveling to a developing country, meeting amazing volunteers from different nations, trying to blend in with locals, and having a sense of adventure made many memorable experiences on my trip. The best moments ranged from hearing and witnessing extreme poor conditions, changing the way the women in the therapy groups viewed the HIV stigma and their families to sightseeing and walking through Nairobi without using my phone and playing soccer on Diani Beach in Mombasa with locals and many more!”
How was SigEp prepared you for life? “SigEp has exposed me to diverse group of people from all walks of life that trained me to keep an open mind at the inception of any new adventure or experience I come across in the future. In addition, surrounding myself with a group of guys that don’t give up or take failure as an option keeps me motivated to optimize my time in college and after to keep developing who I am. Whether it be the Sound Body Chair persistently persuading me to come out to the balcony for a workout or having a conversation about student psychology at 2 A.M. with the brothers, by being in their company and with the memories I make with them, I am consistently accelerated towards my goals with the right mindset.”
What is your favorite SigEp memory? “I will never forget the moment when I contacted my chapter about my project in Nairobi and how the women I worked with made different types of jewelry and shirts to support their families and themselves. I asked if any of them wanted to buy something and support the women, and within a day I had almost $150 worth of products ordered for the brothers. Although it seems minimal when compared to other fundraisers, the money helped support the economic independence program and the women in it for 4+ months. I will always appreciate my brothers for that day.”
What are your plans after graduation? “After this trip, I am open to traveling to different countries for a wide range of volunteer projects after graduating. In the long-term, I am still deciding on what industry I want to work in for engineering, but I am leaning towards developmental engineering in third-world countries.”
— Chantry Carroll, Murray State ’17
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