Sandra Chesanga, International Studies student

As the first true love of a daughter, a father learns to respect, love, and cherish. My father teaches me how to be strong and stand on my own while cultivating principles of assertiveness, resilience, and confidence. I have always known that my father is a great man, because of what he has given me—wisdom and values. He taught me to believe in myself, to set goals for myself and to do whatever I can to achieve them. He taught me that you need hard work to achieve your dreams.

My father has been a constant source of support, affection, and encouragement throughout my life, and I am grateful for his presence. Thank you for being such a wonderful father. I’m grateful for the memories we have created together, and I’m excited to make more. You’re an inspiration to me, and I can’t wait to see what you teach me next.

~Written by Pauline Kiai

Nicholas Mtange, Security Department

Nicholas Mtange is a God-fearing and dedicated professional in his service and duties. He is also a father of four children. Nicholas smiles as he reminisces about his children, their names and sounds. He is a proud supporter of the belief that those who tell you that fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to a man. Chief among this dedicated father’s pass times is watching his children play.

Like anything good in life, fatherhood comes with troubles of its own. Nicholas points out finances as the most frequent hurdle parents face. “We all want to give our children the best life we can, but finances are very limiting.” In such scenarios, Nicholas calls for patience and perseverance. Perseverance will see you through the bad times, which everyone encounters.

Like many fathers, Nicholas has never celebrated Father’s Day. This is despite the fact that he will be on paternity leave during this year’s Father’s Day, welcoming his new-born into the world. Nicholas recounts his vow to himself to never mistreat his family, citing that a good home is the children’s best environment for growth. For him, it is important that children get the right upbringing to become useful people.

He chose to celebrate his mentor this Father’s Day, citing the mentor’s advice, guidance and listening ear which got him through the rough and tough days. It’s not all rainclouds and thunderstorms for the upright man, even though he is happy most of the time. He treasures his communication skills, asserting that improvement of the communication climate helps people come together. He prioritizes understanding and empathy of others rather than stomping his feet at them to get his way.

~Written by Denzel Maina

Mercy Mungai, Computer Science student

Despite her father’s long and illustrious career, for Strathmore student- Mercy Mungai, all his academic and professional titles are trumped by a more salient and intrinsic one- Dad.

How would you describe your father?

I would describe him as a listening machine and I, of course, would be the ranting machine. He’s always there to lend a listening ear, always willing to hear what’s troubling me and dispense his seemingly endless wisdom.

What is the best piece of advice your father has given you?

Nothing in this world is free. If it seems to be free, it’s because you’re the product. I didn’t really appreciate the gravity of this sentiment until I started studying Computer Science and looking into starting a business.  This advice has stuck with me, not only as I try to navigate the world of marketing and IT but in all aspects of my life.

What is your earliest memory with your father?

When I was younger, I had the bad habit of running far ahead of him whenever we went to a park close to where we used to live. Although he warned me against doing that, it would go in one ear and out the other. So, when I would do this, he’d hide and I would turn back, notice he wasn’t there and start panicking. He would then jump out of his hiding place and I’d be so relieved and we’d end up laughing together. He would then tell me not to run too far ahead because we’ll lose sight of each other again.

What is the greatest memory you have of your father?

I can’t say there is one that sticks out. When you have so many amazing memories with a person, it’s difficult to draw on a specific one as the most impactful. My dad has done so much for me but ironically it’s the littlest things that I often find myself looking back to with the fondest memories. Listening to me, noticing when I’m down and trying to cheer me up, taking walks with me… all these minute actions really add up and make a big difference in my life.

What do you admire most about your father?

Definitely his work ethic. He is one of the most industrious people I have ever encountered. You can always tell when he’s deeply passionate about something because he’ll work unceasingly until he achieves his goals. There have been days when I’ve been woken up by lights or sounds at 2 or 3 in the morning, and when I’d go to switch off the lights or investigate the cause of the sounds, I would find him working. His work ethic is something I certainly want to emulate.

What are some habits you’ve picked up from observing your father?

Making sure that I fulfil all my obligations. I’ve watched him set goals for himself and achieve them and I do believe that I’ve adopted a modicum of this attitude. I’ve also noted that he is rather mindful with what he spends his money on and in doing so, my siblings and I have echoed his actions. I understand that money is a fickle mistress, therefore, it’s important that even when I do have it in abundance, I shouldn’t be swayed by it. It’s much more sensible to look far ahead into the future and anticipate a time when my finances may be running on fumes. Consequently, it is vital that I save for such moments. This habit and many others have been inspired by general observations of my father.

~Written by Laura Namuliro