“They call it the north, but we call it home”, Sololo is a small town nestled in the expansive landscape of Marsabit county. It serves as a pivotal town amidst a backdrop of rugged beauty and cultural richness and whose lives revolve around traditional pastoralism and a deep connection to the land.
I grew up in Sololo where my childhood was filled with playful days in the mud, and life felt wonderful. My parents enrolled me in the first ever academy opened in Sololo and I am proud to be among its inaugural alumni. After passing my exams, I attended a catholic secondary school in Karare, Marsabit county completing my form four education there. Life had its challenges, but through God’s grace, I achieved my goals.
Following secondary school, I pursued my diploma and Degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Embu. The real challenge of life started to unfold after graduation as I returned to Sololo and began distributing my certificates to various offices in search of advertised job opportunities.
One lovely morning, a friend called to inquire about my educational background and whether I was proficient with computers. He later requested to see my certificates and later that evening, he called again to inform me to attend a meeting the next day at Gumi guest house.
The following day, I attended the meeting that included the headteachers, principals, chiefs, village elders, the zonal coordinators… marking my first encounter with the organization called Zizi Afrique Foundation. The coordinator Mohammed briefed us about the organization and its vision, ‘a world where all children and youth learn and thrive’ and the Policy Learning for Universal Secondary Education (PLUS) program that helps in 100% transition of students. After a few weeks, officers from Zizi Afrique, Dephine and Walter came to Sololo to elaborate more on the focus of PLUS project, and I was recruited to support in tracking transition rates in Sololo. We were trained on tools to use during the tracking process and for two months, I collaborated with them to achieve the 100% transition.
Months later, Mohammed forwarded me an internship opportunity at Zizi Afrique, and I decided to apply. To my delight I was invited for an interview while still at Sololo. The journey from Sololo to Nairobi is not merely a passage of distance but a narrative of Kenya’s diverse landscape and cultural heritage. It traverses the arid expanses of northern Kenya, crossing the equator into lush highlands, and descends into the geological wonders of the great Rift valley before culminating in the vibrant city life of Nairobi.
Upon arriving at Zizi Afrique office, I immediately felt welcomed. They generously allowed me to have tea before the interview. Being my first interview, I naturally felt nervous. Two days later I received a message from the Human Resource Officer that my interview was successful.
On my first day, I woke up early to prepare myself and excitedly headed to the office where we were welcomed with the other interns. We were introduced to the other teams in the organization and given an overview of the different directorates within the organization. I was assigned to the Directorate of Advocacy and Partnership under knowledge management.
My journey so far for the past months has been exceptional and the support from my supervisor has been great, not forgetting the conducive working environment and the strong culture in the organization. During this time, I have gained an insight into various directorates and their programs. I learned how to use Microsoft 365, enhancing my skills in data analysis and visualization using power BI. I aim to further my understanding of knowledge management strategies. I am still learning and by the end of my 3 months, I hope to gain valuable experiences that will shape my future.
Thank you, ZIZI AFRIQUE FOUNDATION.
Awesome job
Good luck 🤞