Dr. Charles Maina, the CEO of My Guardian, stands out for his exemplary work dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of migrant workers. At the forefront of this mission, My Guardian plays a crucial role in facilitating the secure return of workers who decide to leave their jobs abroad. Historically, migrant workers faced harsh mistreatment, physical abuse, and even hostage situations when expressing a desire to return home. My Guardian steps in not only to support safe returns but also to facilitate home changes for workers who wish to shift and continue working.
Driven by compassion, Dr. Maina and his team go above and beyond, actively rescuing workers held hostage. This starkly contrasts with past experiences where migrant workers and labor export companies had no recourse for help. Dr. Maina shared, “My heart was touched when I saw online videos of workers contemplating suicide due to the absence of assistance in their predicament.”
Drawing inspiration from his experiences at Alliance High School, where foreign teachers and students seamlessly integrated into the community during exchange programs, Dr. Maina envisions replicating this positive experience for every migrant worker from East Africa.
Recognizing the significant contribution of migrant workers through remittances to their home countries, Dr. Maina stresses the necessity of a swift and supportive response when they require help. My Guardian actively collaborates with labor export companies, maintaining a robust presence in Saudi Arabia and planning expansions to other countries for a rapid and effective response to workers’ safety needs.
Dr. Charles Maina emphasizes the pivotal role of governments in empowering private entities to safeguard and empower their citizens working abroad, particularly in potentially hostile environments. My Guardian, positioned as a platform for vulnerable immigrant workers to voice their needs, acknowledges that many are spouses and parents supporting needy families.
Looking ahead, Dr. Maina envisions a growth in the number of citizens working abroad by proactively addressing challenges faced by labor export companies outside their jurisdictions. This positive collaboration among My Guardian, labor export companies, and governments aims to foster a secure, regular, and productive labor export sector for East African migrant workers, ensuring their continued well-being and contributing significantly to their nations’ sustained economic growth.
Dr. Maina, an economist who holds a PhD. in Digital Innovation & Strategy Management, has also designed and rolled out the My Guardian Mobile App, which is used to triangulate the location of distressed Migrant Workers. The App also provides several other services to Migrant Workers including linkage to preferred remittance banks, view of credible labour export companies, and linkage to diaspora associations