The Road To Nairobi

Ian Westerman

A reflective podcast exploring life, faith, leadership, culture, and purpose through stories and experiences gathered across different countries and seasons of life.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    From Musical Prodigy to Musical Director

    This week I talk to my good friend Hesbon, the musical director of Renewal Church in Nairobi. He tells me how it took him some time to realise that his extraordinary ear for music wasn't something that everyone was blessed with! If you are into music, you just have to listen to Hesbon's story.

  2. Jul 15

    My Purpose in Life - Is 'Useful' a Better Goal Than 'Success'?

    What if purpose isn’t something you discover by looking inward, but by asking a much simpler question: “How can I make myself useful?” In this personal reflection, I explore why that question has become the driving force behind Msaada Kidogo and why I believe a life of usefulness is ultimately more fulfilling than one focused solely on success. Along the way I reflect on altruism, identity, retirement, and why our greatest contribution often begins with the ordinary gifts we already possess. If you’ve ever wondered what gives life lasting purpose—or what comes after the roles and titles that once defined you—I hope this episode will encourage you. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Purpose • Identity • Altruism • Nairobi • Christian Living

  3. Jul 6

    Episode 9 - The Price of Injustice – Inside Nairobi's Remand Prison

    Waizeh Solonka is a Nairobi lawyer who walks into Kenya's remand prison and finds people who don't belong there. Not because they are innocent — though some are — but because they cannot afford bail. When I was last in Kenya, I spent time volunteering alongside her in the early days of AJAR, when it was just three people with a desire to see injustice addressed. This is a conversation about justice, faith, and what it actually costs to stand in the gap for someone the system has forgotten.

  4. Jul 2

    Episode 8 - A View From the Balcony

    Sometimes God speaks through the most ordinary things. During a quiet time on my balcony overlooking Brussels’ Parc du Cinquantenaire, I felt prompted simply to “look at the trees.” What began as an everyday view soon became a profound reminder of how God sees the world—not as anonymous crowds, but as unique individuals, each known and loved by Him. In this personal reflection, I explore how that moment has changed the way I think about cities, people, and our forthcoming move to Nairobi. It’s also a glimpse into the heart behind Msaada Kidogo and our desire to serve not by trying to change a nation, but by noticing the people God places in front of us. I hope this episode encourages you to pause, look a little more closely, and remember that the God who knows every leaf also knows you.

  5. Jun 25

    Episode 7 - Restoration on the streets of Nairobi

    This week, I speak to my friend Eunice, who shares the inspirational story of how an unsettling experience at a resort on the Kenyan coast when she was a young, naive 21-year-old student led to her establishing and leading an amazing social outreach programme for sex-workers here in Nairobi.

  6. Jun 21

    Episode 6 - Overwhelming

    In this brief reflection, I take a moment to consider the need to be in the right mindset to engage with those around you who might have a different take on life

  7. Jun 13

    Episode 5 - Esther, and the manifestation of hope

    I talk to my close friend Esther about her experiences of growing up in Nairobi, how her faith has influenced her, and how she sees Msaada Kidogo as a manifestation of hope here in the city.

  8. Jun 3

    Episode 4 - African Time

    A short reflection on my need to recalibrate to the concept of African Time

  9. May 28

    Episode 3 - Miruca - the engineer/farmer/pastor

    This week, I am talking with my friend Miruca Gwada, who pastors a youth church in Nairobi. He gives us his perspective on what it's like to be an ambitious and hopeful twenty-something youth in Kenya's hustle capital today.

  10. May 22

    Episode 2 - Travels with Piglet

    I talk to my friend Molly and her assistance dog, Piglet, about the issues she faces while traveling around the world. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Piglet has little to contribute - but Molly tells me a few things that really surprise me.

  11. May 11

    Episode 1 - How a Lifetime of Experience Began to Point in a Single Direction

    This is the first episode of The Road to Nairobi — a reflective, story-driven podcast exploring the experiences, questions, and convictions that have gradually shaped one person’s understanding of leadership, faith, and what it means to be useful. In this opening episode, Ian Westerman introduces himself and the road that has brought him here — from a career as a British Army officer, through academic research and teaching, to years living and working across East Africa. Along the way, he reflects on a few of the people whose stories stayed with him: a young Afghan interpreter full of hope in 2004, a woman in Kampala writing her story in a cyber café in the evenings, and a flower seller in Nairobi who simply needed someone to believe the next step was possible. This podcast is not instructional. There are no ten steps to anything. It is simply an honest account of a long journey — and an attempt to make sense of where that journey may now be leading. Ian’s wife Ronnie joins him briefly at the end of the episode for a conversation about what they saw during their years connected to East Africa, and why they are now preparing to return to Nairobi to build something small and practical called Msaada Kidogo — Swahili for “a little help.”

    Episode 1 - How a Lifetime of Experience Began to Point in a Single Direction
  • 11 Episodes

About

A reflective podcast exploring life, faith, leadership, culture, and purpose through stories and experiences gathered across different countries and seasons of life.

Information

  • Creator
    Ian Westerman
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ian Westerman
  • Show Website
    The Road To Nairobi

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