Quick Fire

One word to describe Pangani Girls: Scary

Favorite Pangani memory: Challenge weekends

Favorite song while at Pangani: Gentle hands

1. Tell us about your journey since Pangani Girls.

After the “mandatory” computer classes, I went to Switzerland for a diploma in Hospitality management. After my internship, I decided to stay in Geneva, worked as an Aupair while learning French and even went to Belgium for a year of an Associate degree in communications. I didn’t finish the degree in Belgium but then I came back to Geneva and worked for an African owned business for a few years. In 2010 after becoming a mother, I decided that I needed a 9-5 job and started looking into administration. I worked in a few startups before I found a job at an NGO. I have worked in Non profits most of the time since then always in administration.

2. What are you doing now, and what impact are you making?

I’m currently an Executive Assistant at a Not for profit pharmaceutical organisation. I also double as a mentoring coordinator for the Executive PA network of Switzerland. I love that my jobs help me to not only ensure that offices operate smoothly but I also get to think about the welfare of the people who make the operations run smoothly.

3. How did Pangani Girls shape who you are today?

I hated the rules in Pangani. The no sweaters around the waist and no crossing the quadrants was really annoying to me. It felt like overkill in terms of keeping order. I sometimes still think so. However, it prepared me for liking order. Once I learnt how order makes life easier, I appreciated the overly imposed rules.

4. What challenges have shaped your journey, and what did you learn?

As a woman, a black woman in a majority white country, I have learnt that I have to be my biggest cheerleader. I surround myself with people who are as ambitious as me and ensure that the next generation sees the power of resilience.

5. What advice would you give to current Pangani Girls students?

6. Who are you outside of work?

Outside of work, I write books. I have written and published 2 fiction and 2 mental health books. I express myself through writing and have done so since my pangani days. I also organise and host events for women empowerment. The rest of the time, I spend with family and we do a lot of travelling. I promised my daughter we will do at least 100 countries visits and we are almost half way there.