This Working Life

‘People have always been my priority’ – Maria Kidney of Brighter Communities Worldwide

Finding common ground is a key step to resolving conflict, says Maria Kidney, co-founder of charity Brighter Communities Worldwide

Maria Kidney, co-founder, Brighter Communities Worldwide: ‘If you listen, you will be surprised by the insights you will gain’. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Maria Kidney is the co-founder of Brighter Communities Worldwide, a charity working on development projects in Kenya, and is also the country director for Out of the Box Kenya, a global consultancy firm working across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

I came to my role as the happy result of an unhappy incident in 2000. I went to Kenya and Tanzania to climb Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro, and was mugged in Nairobi.

I took ...