Life Lessons of an Immigrant

John Makilya reveals an in-depth look of Kenya, its people, and its traditions in this memoir about growing up there and starting a family before immigrating to the United States of America.

He traces his roots, including how his father became a pioneer educator and was selected to lead a Kenyan delegation on a pilgrimage to Rome during the 1950 Catholic Jubilee. Upon his return to Kenya, he acquired land for the establishment of a Catholic church and later ventured into parliamentary politics.

Makilya also recalls his own career in various sectors, including savings and credit cooperatives, ranching and the beef industry, sustainable community-owned water projects, horticultural production and marketing, community-owned fishing enterprises, and wildlife conservation.

In doing so, he shares an intimate account of his work as a consultant making socioeconomic assessments of the World Bank–funded El Niño Emergency Project, his role in the enterprise development component of a USAID COBRA project, and his work as chairman of the board of governors of the Misyani Girls School—where he insisted girls were as talented in math and science as boys.

Join the author on an inspiring journey from Kenya to the United States in Life Lessons of an Immigrant.