The pandemic has thrown us all off the track. Many of us are still deliberating on what to do and how to move on. This is a story of three tremendous ladies who despite not being able to work at the jobs they are used to, have continued to put Strathmore values of lifelong learning and excellence into practice. As we all debate on what is next, may the examples of these ladies inspire you to do more and be more.

Exciting Experience: Rosalia Musyoka – Senior Supervisor Events

She has worked her way forward from her first job as a laundry attendant to Senior Supervisor, Events. Now, during the period of the pandemic, she has settled into the position of an administrative assistant Strathmore Institute of Mathematical Sciences (SIMS): Rosalia has been monitoring online classes and giving daily reports on the efficiency and effectiveness of eLearning for Stratizens.  She then shares her findings on opportunities and challenges during the weekly meetings held with the SIMS team via zoom. Seeing the positive SIMS team, committed lecturers and focused students fuels her longing for the next lesson.

Upon returning to her role at the Catering department, Rosalia hopes to adopt zoom to hold departmental meetings when it is not possible to hold an in-person meeting. In addition she is learning more on excel, an instrument that will allow her to have a paperless office. In the long run, it will cut costs as well as make documents accessible when needed.

Like many she was locked out in “Shags” and has been tending to the family farm. “It is harvest time,” she says with a tickle in her voice. She now appreciates that we do not need much to be happy and the biggest asset for any one is a family. Rosalia believes that our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world but to change ourselves. As result we make the world around us greater.

The sky is the Limit: Lydia Wanjiku – Supervisor, Kitchen

 “At first it was boring; I do not know how they handle such calculations. Math has never been my cup of tea” chuckles Lydia. Since April, she has also been an administrative assistant at SIMS and is now learning mathematics in real time. As an overseer, she is the eagle eye. She attends classes remotely with students and is constantly checking on connectivity, the presence and participation of students, and other details that make running a class on online platforms a smooth exercise. Lydia believes taking up the challenge was a worthwhile risk.

The interpersonal skills she utilizes in her day to day work as a supervisor in the kitchen have enabled her adapt well in the new environment as she has a knack for dealing with people from all works of life. However, she is learning the importance of feedback and follow up as effective ways of attaining results. In addition, her team work skills are being refined.

Lydia has been keeping her mind engaged through the Staff wellness webinars, with the most recent being that on importance of sleep and rest. She is also keeping in touch with her career path through sessions held to discuss the future of the hospitality industry and the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

When she is not gaining skills in administration, Lydia and a group of friends visit homes of children with cerebral palsy through the J. Maxwell Foundation which helps them identify the family most in need.

Perfectionist not Stubborn: Rosemary Wanjiru Njoroge – Lead Supervisor, Cafeteria

For Rosemary, a keen eye is second to nature. Many misunderstand her attention to details for stubbornness but the results of her work negate that. It is this perfectionism that is allowing her to blend into her new role as an administrative assistant in SIMS.   For her, the platforms that are laid before her at Strathmore are opportunities to be a better person while at the same time impacting others positively.

Her daily routine includes monitoring classes to ensure connectivity is seamless for the Stratizens, following up on punctuality so that classes begin on time, checking on attentiveness of students during the lesson, among other duties. Rosemary admits that this arena made her a learner too.  For example, the classes on entrepreneurship have become channels of insight allowing her to think more concretely. She is also meeting new people, virtually, hence improving on her networking skills.

On the home front, she is spending time diving into gardening and animal farming. She has a boxed garden and plans to carry it along with her when she returns to Nairobi. In it she has kale, spinach, dhania and leeks, just to mention a few. The produce is not only a source of greens for her family and but also awesome therapy for her.  In addition, she has been raring rabbits and potential customers keep inquiring when they will be mature enough to spice up a dish. For those that may not be aware rabbits are not only great fury pets but also have the most delectable chunk of meat.

Rosemary has accepted that she cannot change the direction of the wind but is celebrating by adjusting her sails to reach her destination. With that she is making an effort to make her days count during the pandemic.

 

This article has been written by Annete Karanja. 

 

Would you like to share your experience of living through the circumstances brought by the Covid-19 pandemic? Kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu