– Ghada Khalifa, Regional Director: Philanthropies – Microsoft Middle East and Africa
During a field visit to a small, impoverished village just outside Cairo, Egypt, Ghada Khalifa encountered a young man who told her of his journey to employment. “He was enrolled in a learnership program at a company that was located far away from his village. During that time, he had to walk two hours to catch a train into town, then, once the day’s work was complete, he’d catch the train back to his village and walk a further two hours to get home.”
Today, the same young man is employed by the company that trained him. “The day I met him, I wept at the pride he expressed when he told me his story and boasted joyfully at the fact that he could now look after his family. These are the kinds of beautifully humbling experiences I encounter on a regular basis as a result of my job.”
As Philanthropies Regional Director for Microsoft Middle East and Africa, Ghada works on community development programmes that harness the power of technology to address societal challenges across the region.
Now 12 years into the role, she says it’s a job she can continue for the rest of her life. “I can’t picture myself working outside of community development,” she says, adding that it’s not a simple 09h00 to 17h00 job. “You do it because your goal is to enrich lives through technology. Every day, I wake up and I do my bit to help change the world by illustrating the power of technology to change people’s lives, and I love that I get to do this for work.”
It’s a perspective that ties closely to Microsoft’s mission to empower every person on the planet to achieve more by receiving access to technology. “It is in Microsoft’s DNA as a company,” Ghada proclaims. “It’s not just something we say, it’s something we do. We look at our purpose and try to find new ways to create impact.”
Looking back in retrospect
When asked about how she came to be working in the technology sector, Ghada admits that she wanted to be a lawyer or an archaeologist growing up. Adding that in Egypt, career guidance was primarily available for the richer youth. This was something she wanted to change when she got into business, so, in 2011, she started offering career guidance to young people.
So, what advice would Ghada give her high school-self? “The first and foremost thing I’d advice my younger self is to build digital and computer skills as best you can, because that is an essential skill to have for the job market of today and tomorrow,” she says.
Second is to begin drafting a curriculum vitae (CV) early on. “One way to do this is to begin volunteering early on. These activities build competencies and give you much-needed experience that will make a huge difference when you go into any job market.”
She’d also tell herself not to let anyone or anything discourage her. “If you want something, just apply yourself as best you can and you will achieve your dreams,” she says confidently.
“The fourth piece of advice is to remember that the cyber world is not a world that exists in a vacuum. It is an extension of the real world. Only, what you choose to share on it is never forgotten. So, you must start early to think about how you want the world to know you 10 years from today,” Ghada says.
And finally: “Time is precious, so use it wisely, have great fun but work hard too!”
