I wanted to write a quick personal piece about my new venture and my move out to Nairobi.
Many of my connections on this platform are close friends with whom I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for many years. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to fill you in on what I’ve been up to for the last six months.
My family and I have been very fortunate over the last 18 months and had what could be described as a ‘good pandemic’. My wife became pregnant with our first child in in January of 2020 and once the initial concern the impact this unknown virus could have on her, and our baby, subsided then lockdowns and home life gave us the opportunity to have a unique pregnancy period. We nested in extreme fashion with nothing to do but clear out the loft, landscape the garden, decorate the nursery and prepare for the new arrival.
In March we both went to working from home full time and her role as a community midwife went from home visits to phone calls. My early morning departures from home and days of meetings around the City turned, like lots of other people to, to family breakfasts and Zoom calls.
Once the light of our lives arrived in October 2020 in the form of our bouncing baby boy, Ray, life really changed! However, still bouncing between lockdowns and life being far from normal we again had an opportunity to have unique early months with Ray.
Pre-Covid I expect I would have done my two weeks of paternity leave before returning to my normal schedule of 7am starts in the office and regular late finishes as client events encroached on my evenings. My wife would have been left to baby groups, NCT group catch ups and the all too solitary experience for new mums of being at home alone with a new baby for large parts of the day.
However, in this new world I was able to be omni-present (although we’ll never know if this was omni-appreciated!) and able to help with breakfasts, nappy changes, and bottle feeds. Lunchtime became play time with my darling Ray, who seemed to change between morning and afternoon. I was feeling truly blessed that I’d been given this time and couldn’t believe I might have missed out on it.
As summer approached and life returned somewhat back to normal, I knew I couldn’t go back to our previous lives and I knew I didn’t want to miss important details of my Son’s development. I loved my job in terms of meeting clients, supporting their international activity, building relationships, and developing my knowledge and skills in a challenging environment – however, I was growing weary of corporate life. I needed a sign to force change.
In June of 2021 I was made redundant, and I decided that was probably all the sign I’d need!
Unable to contemplate the idea of getting back on the treadmill at another firm I took the two things I knew best, Africa and FX, and decided to forge a plan.
I wanted to do what I do but I wanted to do it for myself, and I wanted to do it for a broader purpose than profit. From that idea, Mbele FX was formed.
The last few months have been hectic to say the least. Renting out our house in London and packing up our lives while managing a baby that was by this stage an energetic 1-year old and trying to build a business tested us to the limit. But we passed.
Since early November we’ve been settling in Nairobi and finding our feet as a family here.
I’m delighted to launch Mbele, and Forward FX, today and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.
Here’s to moving forward. Mbele.