 Thank you very much once again for having me on the show. My name is Karimi, purity, like you've said, a servant of God, my background, that's where our airport feels like home, I worked in Frankfurt airport in Germany as a ground hostess and in travel agencies. So I have a background, my career in tourism, that is before I started the ministry and I love everything with tourism, with the travel, with the airplanes and just the atmosphere of the airport. This is why I say airport feels like home, because I really loved working there, it's a place where you meet lots of people, especially Frankfurt airport is one of the biggest airports in the world. And sometimes I was even working late in the night on the start work sometimes at 1.30 am, but I was happy because it's something that I loved doing, so this is why I say airport feels like home for me. Given your background in the tourism industry, how do you think your international experiences have actually contributed to your passion in mentoring the young people? That's a good question because I really wanted to touch about exposure because I wanted to encourage everyone, especially the young people, to travel whenever they have a chance to travel. Because it exposes you, there is a way to build your mind, it expands your mind and you are able even to have a different mentality. So for me being out there, having the chance, the opportunity to be out there, because I've been there for many years, I've learnt many things that are really helping me even now and the things that are also helping me help other people. So there are a lot of things that I've learnt and I believe also that exposure and what I've learnt there and then even the ministry now because now I'm a servant of God. I believe all that is a full package that helps me now to reach out to the people I reach out to. So what feels your passion for the youth? I think I have a calling, as a servant of God, you get a calling and you get your mandate from God. So I have three assignments in the ministry. First is to teach the one of God. Second is to raise the standard that is of people in the community. And this is where now I major with the youth and the elderly. And the then I'm not going to speak about it now because we are majoring on the youth and how we can help them. So I believe that the youth, like we were saying about the exposure, when they have the exposure, when you've not travelled, let's say even within the country, your mind is like limited. But when you get to get out there, there is a way your mind sees far. So this is something that I wanted to encourage, especially our young people to venture into. You have a rich bio. Thank you. You have a rich bio. So from being a ground hostess to businesswoman to being an author where we are coming to actually the books you've written to taking care of the elderly. What motivated you to switch gears from being a ground hostess to taking care of the elderly? It's my calling because I walked at Frankfurt airport and then came my calling after that. So I started seeking God more deeply. Okay, I was always a Christian, but that was like I was doing it part time. So when I got serious with what God wanted me to do, that's when now even my real purpose was revealed to me. And this is where I came to learn even about purpose as much as I loved the airport and the tourism. I was doing it, but I was not understanding what exactly is my purpose. So what motivated me to do what even I do now is when I came to know about my purpose. And I realized it's very powerful when a human being recognizes their purpose because that's when you start living. Because before then, yes, I was happy, but when you recognize your purpose and actually start to live it, you feel alive. So you've touched on something that is quite, I don't know if I should call it quite sensitive or rather it's a deal breaker for this 21st century young people. When do they realize what's their purpose? Because there are so many young people out here who have a lot of identity crisis. Maybe I am in the media, maybe it's media, my purpose. I'm in the media because what I do is you look nice for the camera, you know. So when do we start identifying purpose as a young person? Yeah, you know that's actually very important because we shouldn't start it as early as possible. Actually when the children are young and if there is also parents or parents to be that are listening to me. This is something I'm most passionate about because I'm a mother. I'm a mother of a son and you know out there in Europe and I believe also in America, in the USA, children there is a way they are nurtured that you realize and recognize your talent when you're very young. So from the kindergarten, there is a way that is brought out from you because you know your talent is something you're born with. It's not something that you acquire as you go on living. So it's there in you so you can pull it out especially the parents because they are the number one teachers to the children. So it's something that you can pull it out as early as possible. Tell us about the books you've written. Yeah, thank you. I've written three books. I have two with me. I don't know whether I can show it to the camera. Yeah, the first one is Seek Here First, The Kingdom of God. And the second one is Biblical Fasting. And the last one which is not here is Prohibition for Your Papas. So all the books are in Amazon. That is an online market. I realize that it's not widely known in Kenya but out there is a thing. So I've written these books from my own experience, my own journey with God and the things that He has taught me through that. Because when I speak about ministry and the spiritual life, there is a way the londas taught me that this is not limited to the spiritual. It should start from the spiritual but it should branch out to the marketplaces and everywhere else. So I know that the show is not only for the Christians but I just want to mention that as we should not be limited in the church. We shouldn't be out there doing things, doing great exploits because we have all that we need. Once we know our Papas, we can be out there in the marketplaces. Anywhere that the lond put us, we can be there and shine and even help the nations. Personally, I'm born again. That's good. There's this part where we don't know how to differentiate between when now you're talking to me as a pastor and now you're talking to me as a... I don't want to call you a motivational speaker but as a mentor. How do you draw the lines between now I am speaking to you as a servant of God? I am in my office. I know you understand that. I am speaking to you from my office as a servant of God and now I am speaking to you as a mentor. How are you able to bring that balance? I think it's about wisdom because when you start working with God, if you're serious in what you're doing because the wisdom of God comes from the Word of God. So there is a way the Lord equips you even with the discernment to know how to handle every person. The great, the rich, the humble, the young, the old, you have that wisdom from your work with God, understanding the Word of God. So for example, the one of God tells us, Paul said that I'm able to, wherever I go, I am able to sit and deal with any person because you know when to come down, you know when to go up. So I think it's about wisdom. It's about being diligent in what we do because if we say that, for example, I'm a servant of God, I have to stand and prove myself worthy. I have to be diligent. Acceptable of the call. Yes. So that I know how to handle, especially our young people, the young generation, we need a lot of wisdom to handle them. So what are some of the, maybe, what's the main challenge you faced in mentoring the youth? The main challenge is, wow, you know, we are talking about a very important thing within a very short time. So it's just by the grace of God that we be able to package this. So the challenge that I face, because you know, I like to help the young people realize their purpose because I know how important it is. The first challenge is that most of them, without knowing, are knowingly they are egoistic, they are selfish, they are self-centered. I will not blame them because it's the kind of what we are living in now. Many things are different. Even the way people are brought up now, it's not the way that they used to be brought up before. And now things are busy. You find even the parents are busy, they're not sitting one-on-one with the children as required, you know. So you find that these young people, they have that kind of mentality, entitlement, selfishness. So you need wisdom to be able to bring this to them that it's not supposed to be like that. So this is the one challenge I face. But like we said, when you have wisdom on how to go about it, because you have to make this person comfortable, when you tell them this kind of stuff, they have fast to feel comfortable. So that's the challenge that I face. Amazing. Let's shift gears to business. In your opinion, how can businesses and individuals raise the standard of the need in the society? In my opinion, first we have to recognize that we are not living in this one forever. Everything that we have, we cannot take it with us. Of course, we all know that. So once we have this revelation and we understand that, we will be able to share from what we have. And we will be able to realize that when you have a business and you prosper in that business, we shouldn't be able to realize that when we share, we are making even ourselves better. Because where I live, if there are poor people, there is a way I'm also being affected by that. And also there is a joy that comes from getting what you also have earning from the business. And instead of consuming it all alone, there is a joy when you share it with others. So I think when we have that kind of mentality of love and also sharing with the community and knowing that even the poor person is part of me, it's without looking at them like whether they are poor, that's not my business. But when we realize that as long as they are poor, as long as they are in that condition, they are affecting us in one way or the other, I think we will be motivated to raise their standards. True. Share with us from your experiences in Germany and Kenya regarding positive impacts for the development of the society in different cultural contexts. Sorry, pardon? Please. Share with us insights from your working here in Kenya and your working abroad in Germany. From your few insights here and there, how can we make a positive impact in the society in different cultural contexts? Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that I got that right. Yeah, I think anyone that has been out there, it's a different kind of world in terms of development, in terms of the way people help each other, even the government help each other to raise the standard of everyone else in the community. For example, if you go to, let me speak about Germany because that's where I've lived, you will find that even in the house or apartment of someone who is not well up, you will find things like washing machine, this kind that makes life easier. So there is a way that life is made a bit standard for everyone else. Of course they are the rich and they are the poor, but there is a way life is balanced because they believe also in pulling those who are down, pulling them up. So I think we can borrow that also in Africa and instead of just doing the development, thinking about oneself or a community, your own community, I think we can develop, we can do the development, thinking about the whole nation for the betterment of the whole nation. Amazing. So how did your early experiences fuel your passion? Because of course you had the first place, I think if I got it right, you started from ground hostessing before doing all these other things. So how did those first experiences in your career fuel your desire to impact in the society? Let me say even before the ministry I was doing some charity work. Just not in the lunch scale, not the way I'm doing it now. Of course I want to do it even more and even better, but I still handle that. I still handle that charity. I used to help where I could. And when I talk about helping, it's not only limited to finances because we can help in many ways. So I think those experiences and even working at the airport, because I believe the Lord has our destiny, where He wants to take us through. And I believe that the journey that He allows us to go through, sometimes we may look back and think that was a diversion, but in actual sense the Lord takes us through that journey. Because in a place like the airport I learnt about how to love people even more, how to be patient with people, how to have self-discipline, because like I said I used to work even to start my shift at 1.30 in the morning. So there are things that I learnt there of course that I'm still utilizing in my life today that are helping me today. Amazing. As we wind up this conversation, I know time is doing us that thing, but as we wind up this conversation, in your experience with dealing with old people, the elderly, the young people doing ministry, what can you paint for us as a picture of where we are headed to as a country? Wow. I think as a country, of course we cannot forget that we are doing great things, but that will not make us also have a blind eye on where we should pull up our socks, especially when it comes to the elderly and the young people. The young people, I think they need a lot of help, we need to understand the kind of help the young people need. I've noticed that even mental illnesses, it's an issue that many do not understand, and some people are even sick of mental illnesses and they're not even aware that this is what I'm dealing with. Some have anger problems, some have impatience, but they just think I'm just a bad person, but it's a mental illness, there is a root somewhere that is causing them to act the way they are acting. So I think there is a kind of, and I'm sorry to say that, but I think it's a kind of pandemic when it comes to mental illnesses and when it comes to our youth, because then we really need to help them realize who they are. I have noticed that many young people in Kenya are intelligent, they are brilliant, but they just need to be positioned rightly in terms of emotional health, mental health, because you see it's like the society focused on the intelligence. So you find we have very intelligent people in Kenya. This is widely known, even in the USA, even in the Europe, we have very good workers in the high places out there. So intelligence, Kenyans are very intelligent, but we are neglecting the mental and the emotional health. Because I sit down with these young people and at the end of the day you realize this is a person who is even willing to change. And I want also to touch something for the young people and everyone actually, a teachable mentality, a teachable spirit is very important. Because you see when we have a teachable spirit we can go very far. So when our young people are taught that you cannot go far with the selfishness entitlement, don't expect that your parent, your boss, or your pastors, don't think you're entitled to this thing, see it as a privilege and then there is a way to approach it. Because I have realized our young people, they approach things wrongly. And I advise them, and I'm happy even to be here for whoever is listening to tell them that you can go far if you have the right character. And the other thing I want to say is character is a vehicle that will carry you to wherever, to your destiny. Because you find many of them, some are meaning universities, some have worked in great institutions, but then they come back to zero. Why? Because the character, the character, and when I give a Bible example, I give with Samson, he was great, he had something mighty, but the character was wanting, so it brought him down. On the other side we have Joseph, he was also a young man, but his character, he had worked on his character. So he was able to get to his destiny. So I'm telling our young people, work on the character, work on intelligence, excellence. Because you see, we work, but we don't look at the excellence. Am I doing what I'm doing at my best? You see, if you are to work somewhere as a young person, even without the boss, are you doing what you're supposed to do or you need somebody to oversee? So integrity, excellence, we need to check that. Okay, unfortunately we have to bring this discussion to a close, but thank you so much for sharing with us, for talking to us. Today I'm leaving the studio packed, you know? That was Puriti Karimi. She is a woman who wears a whole lot of hats, but my take home this week's episode of Strength of a Woman, character, intelligence and integrity is all that will propel you to greater heights out there. Don't touch that dial, Val is coming back with the food conversation. You can't afford to miss that one.