Her voice has become an anchor of strength in a time of turbulence.
When Maureen Murugi Smith left Kenya for Philadelphia in July 2015 to join her husband, she arrived with the hopes familiar to many immigrants. She dreamed of starting over, finding work, and building a sense of community. What she did not expect was that the very organization that welcomed her into the city would one day become the place where she would help hundreds of others find their own voices just as she had done.
Today, Maureen serves as the Program Manager of the Immigrant Leadership Institute at The Welcoming Center in Center City, Philadelphia. The Center provides valuable resources and services for immigrants transitioning to the United States, and Maureen describes her job more as an extension of her purpose. It was the first space she connected with as a new immigrant a decade ago, and it helped her secure her first job in the U.S., guided her through the process of gaining citizenship, and offered the feeling of belonging she desperately needed. Now, she carries that mission forward, shaping one of the region’s most transformative immigrant programs.
Maureen helps immigrants rebuild confidence, navigate a new culture, understand their civic power, and reclaim a sense of place in a country where belonging is often contested. Through weekly 4-month training sessions that lead up to organizing community action projects, she guides participants to recognize the leadership potential they already possess. Many arrive feeling anxious, unsure, and isolated. But they leave feeling capable, connected, and ready to contribute. For Maureen, removing the fear that so often silences immigrant communities and replacing it with courage is at the heart of her work.
This year has tested that mission more than ever. The rise in anti-immigrant sentiment and political policy uncertainty across the country has created an atmosphere of fear. This has led many immigrants to withdraw from public spaces and community programs. Maureen witnessed this hesitation firsthand. Participants wondered whether they should show up, whether they were safe, and whether they truly belonged.
In response, she did what she always does: she created space. Space for safety, for expression, for reassurance. At every opportunity, she reminded immigrants that people like them have always shaped this country, and that their presence is not a disruption, but a continuation of America’s story. Her voice became a steady anchor of support and strength in a time of turbulence.
And along the way, she has learned many lessons herself. If she had the chance to start her journey again, Maureen says that she would weave more art into her work, which is her first love, and a powerful tool for healing and advocacy. She also dreams of expanding pathways to citizenship so that more immigrants can experience the power of voting and political participation. For her, citizenship is more than paperwork; it is permission to stand tall.
What keeps her grounded is the memory of her grandmother, a woman whose love and warmth shaped Maureen’s understanding of compassion. Her grandmother used to tell her that seeing her felt like watching a wrinkled cloth being smoothed with warmth. That image guides Maureen’s legacy. For her, it’s all about the desire to leave people better than when she found them, more confident, more hopeful, and ultimately more aware of their own potential.
In many ways, Maureen has infused the warmth from her grandmother in creating spaces at The Welcoming Center where people feel welcomed and restored. This had built into making the Center a home for those who left theirs behind in all corners of the world. Participants often describe the Center as a safe space where they rediscover their abilities and dreams. That, she believes, is the true measure of impact, not the actual programs themselves, but the transformation of the people who walk through the doors.
Maureen’s story is not flashy or dramatic. It’s a quiet, steady evolution, with one chapter at a time. She is rewriting the narrative of immigrant identity in Philadelphia, proving that belonging is not something granted. It is something built, nurtured, and shared.
And in the many lives that she touches every day, Maureen Murugi Smith is building that narrative beautifully.
Dr. Eric John Nzeribe is the Publisher of FunTimes Magazine and has a demonstrated history of working in the publishing industry since 1992. His interests include using data to understand and solve social issues, narrative stories, digital marketing, community engagement, and online/print journalism features. Dr. Nzeribe is a social media and communication professional with certificates in Digital Media for Social Impact from the University of Pennsylvania, Digital Strategies for Business: Leading the Next-Generation Enterprise from Columbia University, and a Master of Science (MS) in Publication Management from Drexel University and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Temple University.
