Moky, the Bold Moves Campaigner

Dear Moky, we met for the first time during a social impact workshop in Austria four years ago. You have been there with your own social start-up, however, we know that you have done much more in your life. Can you tell us about it?

I have done many different things in my life. My career is like a puzzle, not like a ladder. I have added pieces all around and during all this time I was trying to find what I really like to do and what my passion is. I started as a creative professional in advertising and then I realised that I was creating ideas to sell something I did not believe in. And this didn’t make sense to me anymore. So I decided to express my creativity through my hands and I became an artisan, creating design candles and wax objects that could give light and joy to people. But it was still not what I wanted to do. During this period I started being surrounded by different endeavours of sustainability that really influenced me not only related to my professional life but my life in general. Who I am now, is somebody that wants to do something for society and the environment. Not being selfish and doing something only for myself, but something that makes sense for everyone. This is my purpose. So, I was and am applying this wish to different things that I am doing. For instance, I co-founded a start-up called ZüriChips that fostered awareness in regards to food waste. We were rescuing unsold bread and making delicious chips out of it. The impact we had with our campaign was that many people became aware that food waste is linked to climate change, started becoming creative at home and stopped wasting food. And our goal was not just to make an environmental impact. As a matter of fact, our chips were produced by people with cognitive problems. Although it was financially not the best solution, this social impact was very important to me. Currently, I am still working with people with cognitive problems. As a «water-lover» I bring them into the water, let them experience this wonderful element in order to have fun and a beautiful experience. When I see them smile, any problem becomes just so small for me. They teach me a lot and when I in return can bring them joy, it feels like we can create  a social impact together. 

«My career is like a puzzle, not like a ladder. I have added pieces all around and during all this time I was trying to find what I really like to do and what my passion is.»

Next to this I am also working for Madam Frigo, again on the topic of food waste, this time with public fridges where people can bring or take food for free. Through this organisation I am leading a team in the small town where I live, creating awareness and reducing food waste. So, this is me now. Trying to do something good in several aspects. I must admit that out of all these activities I have my favourite ones. Working as a Bold Moves campaigner at Circleg for instance is one of them. When I met you for the first time in the workshop in Austria, you said to me: The Circleg prosthesis should be the «Nike» sneaker of prosthetics – stylish, functional and empowering. This was very bold to me. I have been in a rehabilitation centre for a long time and I met a lot of people with health and mobility problems, however, I seldomly see them out in the streets. They are not so visible in our society. The fact that Circleg wants to change that by empowering these people and at the same time bring awareness to the topic, I find very honourable. My mother for instance has been in a wheelchair since last year and she wants to go out every day. I find it awesome that she is not afraid to be judged. And this should be the case for everyone! 

What was the driver for you to start as a campaigner for the Bold Moves Campaign?

I just wanted to work for Circleg. I am a person who has done communication during my entire life. To apply this expertise is what I like to do and I fully support the bold moves campaign. Exactly as I said before, to celebrate people and to use my communicative way for a good purpose is the best I can do.

What is a bold move that you took in your life? 

It was when I met the man of my life while doing free diving in Egypt. After 24 days I decided to move to Switzerland with him and left my family, my friends and everything I had in Italy, not knowing what I will encounter. I was simply following my heart. This was my personal bold move and luckily we have been happily together for 11 years now.

«To celebrate people and to use my communicative way for a good purpose is the best I can do.»

As a campaigner for the bold moves campaign you got to know many inspiring people. Is there one bold move that stuck to you and that you would like to share? 

Only one? There are so many wonderful bold moves I can think of. For instance, women in Asia that fight against sexual abuse or combined marriage, women in Afghanistan that are risking  their lives for applying what they are studying in robotics for good purposes. Or a guy that managed to infiltrate the Ku-Klux Klan and put his life on risk just to confront some of the members with a different view. Or a group of people that made a boat out of recycled plastic to navigate along the African coast campaigning for ocean preservation. Or a man that revolutionised agriculture in Kenya using digital solutions. I could go on forever. The Bold Moves Campaign is a great gift for me because I get  to know many amazing people. In general, I think it is already a bold move if you dare to say “I do it”, because you believe in something and actually take a bold move. Maybe you are alone in the beginning and this can be very tough. But this first step of «just doing it» is already a bold move in the right direction.

What is a personal next bold move that you want to take?

The next bold move will definitely be to keep going and to dare to try out new things where I can contribute with my expertise and skills to make a positive impact. 

Can you give us a glimpse of the next Bold Moves story? 

I do not want to spoil it already! What I can say is that I think the bold moves campaign will become a contagious campaign. The more people that will be part of it, the more people would like to be part of it. We will have people of all kinds and of all backgrounds fighting for different things. All of them with the same inspiring spirit and attitude. And actually, I believe everyone of us has this spirit inside – we just have to connect to it.