Why I Left a Comfortable Job to Build for East Africa

The decision wasn't easy. London had everything I thought I wanted — a good salary, a nice flat in Shoreditch, a team that respected me, and Friday drinks at the pub around the corner.

But a trip back to Kampala changed everything.

I was visiting my grandmother when she fell ill. At the local clinic, I watched a nurse try to use a health records app that crashed every thirty seconds. The frustration on her face — and the resignation that this was just how things were — hit me harder than any performance review ever could.

That broken app became my calling. Not because I could fix it (though I eventually did help build something better), but because it showed me a gap I was uniquely positioned to fill.

I knew both worlds. I understood the constraints of building for low-bandwidth environments. I knew what it felt like to code on a 2G connection. And I had the technical skills that London had sharpened over years.

So I left. Not dramatically — I gave my notice, finished my projects, thanked my team. But I left with a clarity I hadn't felt in years.

Three years later, MamaFund serves 12,000 women. AfyaConnect has facilitated 5,000 telemedicine consultations. And I wake up every morning knowing that the code I write today might help someone's grandmother get better care.

Was it worth it? Every single day.