#54 IMPACT MASTER CATHERLINE MIROBE: ELECTRICAL ENGINEER TO SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 2 (00:04):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Welcome once again this ImpactMasters podcast, in
collaboration with Africa'sTalking Podcasts.
It's a beautiful day, onceagain the day of the Lord.

(00:29):
I'm your host, michael Kemadi,coming to you direct.
Before we start, I want to tellyou about Africa Stalking.
Check outricastalkingcom.
We provide communicationsolution for developers.
You have voice, mobile, sms,ssd and airtime APIs.

(00:58):
Businesses looking to expandand empower your business across
Africa Africa'salking is theplace to be.
Nice, today we have a wonderfulguest.

(01:23):
Yes, an electrical andelectronics engineer by
profession, and she comes fromJamaica.
For those who know Jamaica, youknow I'm talking about Jomo
Kenyatta University ofAgriculture and Technology A
graduate.
Yes, she's a dedicated softwaredeveloper with a strong

(01:44):
foundation in electrical andelectronics engineering, holding
a bachelor's degree in thefield.
Her professional journey hasbeen marked by a passion for
cutting-edge technology,particularly in the realm of
Internet of Things IoT, forthose who know the fuse of

(02:07):
software and hardware and shehas successfully completed over
five impactful projects.
Alongside this, she has craftedmore than five dynamic websites
, showcasing proficiency in HTML, css, css, javascripts and all.
So, without preempting, let'sget into it.

(02:30):
And uh, here from kathleen,kathleen, mirobe nyanduko.
Yeah, she'll tell us whynyanduko is in, you know, maybe
it's a family name, I don't know.
So, hi, kathleen, hi, how areyou?
Yeah, I don't know if it's kathname, I don't know so hi,
kathleen, hi, how are you?
I don't know if it's Kathleen orKathleen.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
Actually it's supposed to be Kathleen, but now
the person who wrote my birthcertificate, the first they
messed you up.
Yeah, they decided just to messme up.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
They were not sure if it should be R or L.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, so they used both letters.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Following each other.
That's very interesting, yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
So my name became Kathaline.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Ah, it's supposed to be Katharine.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
It's supposed to be Katharine.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
Very nice, very nice.
Yeah, my name is MichaelKimathi.
You can call me MK if you want.
I'm your host for this podcastand I would love to, you know,
have a chat with Catherine.
Catherine, actually, this is abackground of how we know each
other.
So I'm on TikTok, as Gen Zslove it, and I'm checking out,

(03:40):
like how can we use this tool toengage developers, and one of
the things that I searched thereis Africa Stalking.
We had just done our summit andI wanted to check the video
engagement on TikTok versusYouTube, versus Facebook, versus
Twitter.
And the third video I see isKathleen talking about Africa
Stalking and how she's using itto set up some interesting

(04:03):
projects that she'll be sharingall along and, interestingly,
she was actually setting thissoftware on a garage.
If you guys know how engineerswork, there is a I don't know is
it called a heater the one thatblows the aluminium off.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
Soldering iron yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Soldering iron and other things, as you know, as an
engineer's table, and she'shere programming, telling things
, as you know, as an engineer,stable, and she's here
programming telling guys checkout Africa Stalking.
I'm using Africa Stalking.
I have to set it up.
I was so impressed because thatconversation or that video on
TikTok was quite authentic aswell, as it had over 100,000, by
the last time I checked,100,000 views.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
And for a moment I thought how many other engineers
have seen this work through you, and that's why I was
interested to hear more aboutyou.
Now, later on off the mic, Imeet her.
She's quite stunning for thosewho see the video.
Very beautiful lady and with somuch actually to give in terms
of mentorship, in terms of howshe views life, entrepreneurship

(05:04):
, employment, and we're going tohighlight all of that Without
further ado.
Catherine, where did you start?
Where did everything aboutCatherine start?

Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, so, as you've said, my name is Catherine
Catherine Mirobe.
I'm a software developer.
I also have a background inelectrical and electronics
engineering.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Very nice.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
So I'm interested in IoT.
So I've done a couple ofprojects.
I've used Africa Stalking, I'vedone projects with USSD SMS
Airtime, and so I love theplatform.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah, but we'll get there.
We'll get there to the AfricaStalking.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
And how you have used it, what you have used it to
and how even you discovered it.
Yeah, and why Africa Stalking?

Speaker 3 (05:56):
But where were you born?
I'm a Kisi, my dad is a Kisi,my mom is a Kisi.
Yes so.
I'm a full Kisi.
Our home is South Mogirangoconstituency.
Our MP is the loud one.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
Which one is that?

Speaker 3 (06:11):
Osoro, silvanus Osoro .

Speaker 2 (06:14):
You guys vote, young guys we like young people.
And as much as he's louder here.
He has a lot of projects goingon.

Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, he's good.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (06:26):
So that's my home.
Then I came to juja for schoolyeah I've also studied in rift
valley.
I've studied in nakuru st cleargirls in high school, but most
of my life I've spent in kiambucounty.
That is juja.
Ah yeah.
So when you say most of yourlife is that high school is that
, primary school is that?

Speaker 2 (06:45):
life I've spent in Kiambu County.
That is Juju, ah yeah.
So when you say most of yourlife is that?
High school, is that?
Primary school, is that?

Speaker 3 (06:49):
university, university, university, yeah,
university.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
But I would like us to go a bit back.
So you said primary school, youwent to which primary school?

Speaker 3 (07:00):
Primary school I went to a school in Nyamira County
called St Andrew Girls Kagwa.
There I studied from class 4 toclass 8.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
So that was boarding.

Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, but in my primary school.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
I was here in Nairobi .
Ngumo Estate.
Oh, Ngumo Estate.

Speaker 3 (07:18):
Yeah, then I went back to Kisii.
I studied primary in St Andrews, kagwa.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
That is from which class.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
From class 4 to 8 now so from nursery to class 4.
Class 4 I was here in NairobiIn Gumo yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
And how was that life like for a young girl?

Speaker 3 (07:34):
It was good, but I can't say it was the best,
because now I was away from myparents, so the life was not
that easy.
So because of thosedifficulties in taking care of
me and all that.

Speaker 2 (07:52):
I had to go back to my parents, so your parents were
not in Nairobi.

Speaker 3 (07:57):
Yeah, my parents were not in Nairobi.
I was living with my relatives.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
Oh, okay, I see.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
From their viewpoint, they felt like Nairobi was a
good place to study, especiallyto start my foundation.
But when I came to Nairobi,taking care of me especially
with the relatives became a bittricky, so they had to take me
back.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
And when you went back home, you felt like now I'm
okay.
Yeah, and when you went backhome you felt like now I'm okay.

Speaker 3 (08:26):
Yeah, when I went back home I was more close with
my parents now, so they opted totake me to a boarding school.

Speaker 2 (08:37):
Again away from home.

Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah, away from home but it was closer.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
Is that around Kisii?

Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah, it's around Kisii.
St Andrew Kagwa is in NyamiraCounty.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
So let me ask you for Nairobi in Gumo I know Gumo is
just neighboring Kibira, if I'mnot wrong and this is a young
girl, not more than even 12years.

Speaker 3 (09:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
And was this just going day, schooling or boarding
?

Speaker 3 (09:10):
Yeah, it was day school.
So because it was day school, Ihad to be taken to school in
the morning and come back in theevening.
Okay, so that commuting was noteasy for my aunties because my
auntie was coming back to Kisiiso it became hard to take care

(09:30):
of me.
I was living with my uncle mostof the time and my uncle was
going out to look for a job.
So taking care of me becamereally hard because I was a day
scholar and I'm still young, Idon't know how to take care of
myself, to take a bath, and atthat time I became sick.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
Oh, was it stress or just sick?
Yeah, just sick, normal sick,and I was also an active person.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
So I got an injury, I hurt my hand so it became
really difficult to take care ofme, because now I don't have my
arms.
I'm sick.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
And you're a young kid.

Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, I'm a young kid .
My aunt is not around most ofthe time and my uncle has to go
for a job, so it becamedifficult and I had to go back
home.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
It sounds like even you're also stressed, because
now he is your uncle.

Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, I was a bit stressed.

Speaker 2 (10:32):
So does it mean that that affected your education a
bit?

Speaker 3 (10:37):
My performance was not all that good.
Actually my real name wasMagdalene, the initial name.
My initial name was Magdalene.

Speaker 2 (10:45):
The initial name.

Speaker 3 (10:46):
My initial name was Magdalene, and when I was going
to nursery, the girl who wasstopping in our class was called
Catherine.

Speaker 2 (10:55):
This is interesting.
That is now in Ngumo.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
In Ngumo yeah.

Speaker 2 (10:59):
So you had to change your name to perform well.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
So I used to be punished every day.
I had a really big problem withspelling.
I used to perform in math, butwhen it comes to spelling and
because I was from Kisii, I didnot know even Kiswa Ili.
Oh, it was really hard for youto have spoken Swahili, it was
really hard for me to integratewith other children because I

(11:23):
was only speaking my mothertongue so I was really not
performing good.
I was always bottom five.
Because of that humiliation, Ifelt like I wanted to be the top
kid.
So I went on all my books, Irubbed my name and I wrote it
Catherine.

Speaker 2 (11:43):
But you said earlier on that the person who wrote
your birth certificate is theone who messed your spelling.

Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:50):
And I remember, maybe back in the day, people did not
get birth certificateimmediately they were born.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
My birth certificate was written when I was going to
register for my class eight.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
Oh yeah, so.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
I had not gotten yet my birth certificate.

Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah, I'm just clarifying that for those who
listen to this and they're likeokay me, I got my birth
certificate when I was born, oh,yeah, so, okay, yeah, long time
ago, not so long, maybe guysused to get birth certificate
when they were registering tothe government.

Speaker 3 (12:18):
Most of the people actually did that when they were
doing their.
Kcp yeah, kcp yeah, yeah, whenthey were doing their KCP, their
KCP yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
Yeah, just to clarify , for maybe 50 years to come.
Yeah, yeah, so you changed yourname to Catherine.

Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, I rubbed all my books.
I changed my name to Catherine.
So when my uncle informed mydad that I've changed my name,
they tried to you know?
Tell me you know, magdalene isthe name of your grandmother
because, my grandmother wascalled Magdalene Nyanduko, so
you were namesake, yeah.
But I did not like the namebecause I felt like it's the

(12:53):
cause of my low performance.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
And after changing, did it actually affect your
confidence morale?

Speaker 3 (13:01):
I think I became more confident.
But I did not stay long toprove my point Because
immediately I think after oneyear I went back to Kisii.
But now in Kisii, when I joinedclass four, my performance was
not that good.
So when I went to class four mydad talked to the teacher and

(13:24):
told him I don't have a goodbackground, especially in
education.
So I started performing withthat close supervision from my
teachers.
So by the time I'm in class six, that is when I started
becoming top, ten, top five, soit took you two years to really

(13:46):
catch up.
Yeah, it took me some time.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
And by class 7?
.

Speaker 3 (13:51):
Yeah, by class 7, I was doing good, I used to
perform, I used to get 400.
My dad could buy me a bike.
Wow.
Ironically, when I was told tochoose a present, I don't think
I ever chose any girly present.
I used to say I want a bike.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
I used to say I want a bike, anything, anything
mechanical so I have like threebikes.

Speaker 3 (14:16):
Even now I have a bike which were presents from
your dad for now, because I feltI love, I love that lifestyle.
For now I I bought a bike thatI used.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
To commute.

Speaker 3 (14:31):
Yeah, I used.
I use it to commute from myhome to my workshop.
Wow, okay.

Speaker 2 (14:38):
Your story is getting interesting, so you go to Kisii
.

Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
And you catch up in two years and your performance
is looking good as you go on.
And number one you alreadychanged your name and your
parents could not do anythingabout it.
They accepted the result but ofcourse this makes you feel like
you know, if Kathering was topnumber one or top in the class,
then also this Kathering willalso be top in the class, then

(15:04):
also this gathering will also betop of the class.
Do you get to top your classbefore you finish your primary
school?

Speaker 3 (15:14):
By the time I'm finishing my primary school, I
don't remember becoming numberone, but I used to top like top
five because we were around.
We were around 120 students, sobecoming top five was really a
big deal for me.
But I never became number onebut I really, comparing my
performance back then and now,it was a really big improvement

(15:41):
and now this school was back inKisii and here in Nairobi
English and Swahili was aproblem.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
So when you go there you feel at home because there
are a few guys, even if not all,who actually you can relate
with.

Speaker 3 (15:55):
So what happened is when I was coming from Kisii to
Nairobi, I did not know anylanguage except Kisii.
Yes.
But now, when I was going backfrom Nairobi to Kisii, I did not
know any Kisii, so I was nowConfused.
My Kisii had become.

Speaker 2 (16:14):
Not so good Not so good.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
I knew Kiswa Ili.
Yes.
But now, when I was going intoboarding, of course we used
Kiswa, ili and English so it waseasier, but my KISI was not
that good.

Speaker 2 (16:31):
That's quite interesting.
Do you think this actually hadan impact in your life in terms
of education-wise?

Speaker 3 (16:38):
I think it did because I was in a better school
, better surveillance, becausemy dad used to come.
They check on my performance,they know my teachers, so my
performance really became quitegood and you felt like there was
that support from your parents.
Because I used to even go fortuition, they used to pay extra

(17:01):
money for me to study.

Speaker 2 (17:05):
Interesting.
They used to pay extra moneyfor me to study.
Yeah, interesting.
So you do your KCP.
Yeah, in between, is there anymemorable event that happened
besides what you have mentionedin your primary school?

Speaker 3 (17:19):
I was good in athletics, I think so you loved
running football handballbasketball loved running
football, basketball Mostlyrunning short races.
When I was in primary, I wasthe captain for games, so I used
to perform really good.

Speaker 2 (17:35):
The boarding what's the name of the boarding?
Again?

Speaker 3 (17:40):
St Andrew.

Speaker 2 (17:40):
Kagwa.

Speaker 3 (17:42):
So I was really good in athletics.
So I can say that was myhighlight, because I was doing
both good in class and I wasreally active.

Speaker 2 (17:55):
Did you proceed to like provincials or nationals?

Speaker 3 (17:58):
My dad was against me going anywhere further that I
have to miss school for like aweek.
So I could proceed to maybeprovincial level.
But if I proceed to anotherlevel that requires me to go go,
like say, mombasa and staythere for one week.

(18:20):
My dad was against that.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
Very nice.
So you know your dad is apillar from the construction
that we had earlier.
Yeah, and so how many are youin your family?

Speaker 3 (18:32):
We are four, four yeah.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
And you're the first one.

Speaker 3 (18:35):
Yeah, I'm the first born and I'm the only girl.
The only girl.
The others are boys.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
You must be the most favorite to all the boys in the
house.
They don't have a choice.
How did your mother perceivethat?

Speaker 3 (18:53):
I don't think we are that close with my mom, but I
think he's okay.

Speaker 2 (19:00):
She's okay.
Okay, so you do your KCP.
How did you perform?

Speaker 3 (19:07):
I got 377.
Then I was called to St ClairGirls.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
Where is St Clair?

Speaker 3 (19:13):
It's in El Bargon.

Speaker 2 (19:15):
That is Rift Valley.

Speaker 3 (19:16):
That is Nakuru.

Speaker 2 (19:20):
How was that shift for you?

Speaker 3 (19:23):
It was nice because now I get to change an
environment, because in Kisii Iwas surrounded by mostly Kisii
students, but now in high schoolthere is that diversity, so I
got to interact with othercultures and I think that move
was good for me Because now Iwas able to merge with other

(19:49):
students.

Speaker 2 (19:50):
So your first year?
Is it a mixed, or it was agirl's?

Speaker 3 (19:54):
school, and a Catholic one.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
My dad was very strict, so he was happy that you
went to St Clair.

Speaker 3 (20:00):
Because even St Andrews is a Catholic.

Speaker 2 (20:05):
So this was not like you were called into it, or?

Speaker 3 (20:08):
I was called.
The school that I was called towas called Menyenya.

Speaker 2 (20:12):
Menyenya, menyenya, that's still in Kisii.

Speaker 3 (20:15):
It was in Kisii, but it was not a good performing
school.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
What does Menyenya mean?
Because that's a Kisii name.

Speaker 3 (20:21):
Honestly, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (20:23):
I would love to hear what it means.

Speaker 3 (20:28):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (20:28):
I'll ask my Kisii friends what Menyanya means.
Kaka remind me Menyanya yeah.

Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah, so they looked for a school for me.
The first school I got was inthis school in Kajiado.
I don't remember the name, butthat school was also not good in
performance.
So they looked for anotherschool, and now I went to St
Clair.

Speaker 2 (20:53):
So your first day in St Clair, you were mono.
They called you mono, isn't itI?
Don't know if that was the casefor your high school.
Mono means one.

Speaker 3 (21:02):
Mono means one, but I did not report there on the
first day.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (21:07):
After my class 8, I told you I was called to
Menyenya.
But I did not go to Menyenyabut they looked for a school in
Kajiado, so I went to thatschool, stayed there for around
one month as they were stillsearching for other schools.
So then I got a letter toreport to St Clair.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
So when I was going to St Clair At least Monos were
a bit older in that school.

Speaker 3 (21:34):
Yeah, so I found that they have studied like a month
already.
So it was really hard for methe first term, but there was
some bit of encouragementbecause by the time I entered I
knew I'm behind studies.
So you were catching up yeah soI had to catch up and by the

(21:55):
end of first year, by the end ofthat form one, I was actually
one of the top students in thatschool.

Speaker 2 (22:03):
Wow, that is now that term from one.

Speaker 3 (22:05):
that term you were number one or two in my stream I
was number one, but overallyear was number two wow, that's
just impressive, but the firsttime I was really poor.
I think I became my number 30okay out of out of they were
around 112 students did getdiscouraged.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
How do you feel about it?

Speaker 3 (22:26):
Okay, At that time I understood, because when I got
into the school they had alreadystudied like for one month.

Speaker 2 (22:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (22:34):
So I had a lot of catching yeah.

Speaker 2 (22:37):
Okay.
So this is very interestingbecause even in my life actually
I share in some of yourintricacies when you have to
play catch up, where you go toanother school you find like, oh
you know, people are way aheadand sometimes you feel like even
that catch up is not reallycatching up, because you have to
do a lot of, because for me ittook me three terms.

Speaker 3 (22:59):
I caught up with them on the third term of Form 1.

Speaker 2 (23:04):
And did you have support of the tuition?

Speaker 3 (23:07):
Yeah, there was support, but again, because my
foundation with linguistic wasnot good, so I was really
performing bad in Kisweili andEnglish.
So you might find that I'mgetting 19 months and all the
subjects but English andKisweili I can even get a D.
So my dad knew that I'm notgood in English, so after every

(23:33):
term he used to look for ateacher who could mentor me in
English and Kiswahili.
So, yeah, I raised myperformance in those subjects.
Now I was competing with others.

Speaker 2 (23:48):
Yeah, and the rest is history, as you say.

Speaker 3 (23:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (23:51):
Up to form four.
You were always top.

Speaker 3 (23:54):
Okay, you can't be top every day, but I was among
the top students and again, Iwas good in athletics.

Speaker 2 (24:01):
So that means you're competitive.

Speaker 3 (24:03):
I was good in athletics, so that means you're
competitive.
I was very competitive becauseeven my principal used to allow
me to go to these events forgames, because she knew, even if
I go for these games, I'llstill catch up with class.

Speaker 2 (24:18):
Nice.
So I know in high school that'swhere ladies and adolescents
kicked in.
You start going for games.
Some guys you know ladies,adolescents kicks in, start
going for.
You know you are going forgames.
Some guys go for drama musicfestival.

Speaker 3 (24:29):
Even this math contest.
Actually, there is one I won.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
Oh, math contest in Rift Valley, or just your?

Speaker 3 (24:37):
We were competition where other schools come and
compete for math contest, andthat particular math contest was
in Marymount Girls.

Speaker 2 (24:47):
Still in Rift Valley.

Speaker 3 (24:49):
Yeah, it's in Rift Valley, but we had schools from
Kisii coming, schools from otherprovinces coming and in the
girls category I was the firstrunner up.
Wow.
Yeah, we got a scholarship forCPA, but after Form 4, I was not
interested.

Speaker 2 (25:08):
That is in KCA CPA.
Where would you do it?
Is it KCA?

Speaker 3 (25:14):
I don't remember the university, but they had given
us scholarships and funds.

Speaker 2 (25:19):
That's present here.
Funds, yeah.
So which kind of fund did youget at that?

Speaker 3 (25:24):
point I got a Samsung , wow yeah.
So which kind of?

Speaker 2 (25:27):
phone did you get?
At that point I got a Samsung.
Wow, yeah, interesting.
Which math context did Iparticipate in?
Because I was really good inmath also and I also went for
math context.
I think I went to the wrongones.

Speaker 3 (25:36):
Kabarak.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
Mine was in Eastern Province.

Speaker 3 (25:40):
Yeah, we used to go mostly for Kabarak.
Sometimes we go for MarymountOther times.
But schools around Rift Valley.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
No, I'm saying for me .
I feel cheated If there were nofunds to be won, there's no CPA
scholarship.
I think I went for the wrongscholarships.
No scholarship, but mathcontext Ours.
We went to ECO Boys.
I don't know if you've everheard of it.
I think it's now maybe nationalor something.
It's in Eastern province, justpast Chuka is it past Chuka or

(26:11):
before Chuka?
Actually, okay, if you'recoming from Nairobi, it's just
before Chuka, it's?
You know, in a place he calledit an IKUU.
You know, we say somethingdifferent with what people think
yeah and I don't remember anygifts, but I remember a lot of

(26:34):
girls school participating,which was exciting for young
boys, especially Kenny girls.
I don't know if you've everheard of Kenny girls.
It's in Embu, I think.
Okay, these are sideu.
I think okay, these are sidenotes.
I think those guys we used tothink the first criteria for you
to qualify to go to Kenny Girls, kenny Girls shout out to you

(26:54):
guys, you kept us awakened withbig dreams.
You have to be very beautiful,because out of 10 girls maybe
one was average, but nine werelike.
Which one should I choose?
So that's one thing I canremember about math context,
because if you go there you'llmeet them.
Because Iko is close to Embu,yeah.

(27:16):
And for those who are hearingus saying Rift Valley, before
there were no counties, so itused to be provinces.
Yeah, but you're not that oldanyway, I may make you sound
like you're old, but beforethere were eight provinces.
One of them was Rift Valley.
There was Coast, there wasEastern Province there was

(27:37):
Nyanza.
There's Central, there's Westernand there's Northeastern and I
think that's it.
Yeah, I think that's it, yeah,I think that's basically it.
So that's why when you hear mesay eastern, it's towards Meru,
embu County I think also IsioloCounty was part of that, and

(28:00):
then Machakos, and then I thinktowards I think Trukano was part
of that.
So it was one stream ofcounties so that just people
don't hear saying, oh, riftValley, then they get confused.
So you get to, in math context,you win and you get a Samsung
and you get invited to CPA.

(28:21):
So I know KCA University usedto offer still offers CPA, which
is a certified public, and youget invited to CPA.
So I know KCA University usedto offer still offers CPA, which
is a Certified PublicAccountant.
Certificate and I know most ofmy friends who joined campus
most of them actually on theside they did CPA, because CPA
is quite on demand.
I don't know if it is nowadays,but it used to be.

(28:43):
But we never followed through.
So why Were you too busy withlife?

Speaker 3 (28:50):
By that time.
I think I used to follow somuch what my dad was telling me,
so at that time he advised methat it's not something which
can at that time add value to melooking at what I was
interested in, so he felt likethat time, instead of joining

(29:16):
that course, why not dosomething that I'm interested in
?

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Which is engineering.
Yeah, and your dad is quiteimpactful in your life, even
from our previous discussion.
Yeah, he shaped you to who youare.

Speaker 3 (29:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
Would you like to you know, go into details, and it's
your late dad, so yeah.

Speaker 3 (29:37):
So my dad was also an engineer?
Yes, he was a consultant.
Yeah.
He had an office at KisiKisitown, so most of the
discussion I used to, I think,meant to me a lot.
And even when I was studying heused to tell me just study, but
know that no one is going togive you a job.

(29:59):
So you go to school, know howyou'll use your knowledge to get
whatever you want.
Yeah, so everything that I wasdoing was more into how can this
help me to get to do what Iwant or to get even money?

Speaker 2 (30:19):
Yeah, so you took that advice.
And you said you're alsoprivate with a consulting
business.
You could see how he doesbusiness.

Speaker 3 (30:28):
Even when he was being given those contracts, he
used to call me, show me thecontracts and tell me you see
the qualifications 10 yearsexperience, you have to have a
master's.
So that's where he got the ideaof you just finish your
master's Not like you finish toget a job or a promotion, but it
will help you in securing thesebig contracts and all that.

(30:51):
So I used to see all those,yeah, so it was kind of
motivating for me, because nowit's not like I'm hearing.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
I'm seeing them, yeah , and that's what I call
apprenticeship.
That's not like I'm hearing ofthose things.
I'm seeing them, yeah, andthat's what I call
apprenticeship.
That's not mentorship, it'sapprenticeship.
You're seeing what is beingdone on the ground.

Speaker 3 (31:10):
Even when he was going to his work, my brother.
He wanted my smaller brotherwho is now doing civil.
He's graduating in civil.
He wanted him to do the watersurvey.
So he used to go with him to dothe work, so my brother knows

(31:30):
how to survey.
It's just that he doesn't havethe certificates to take on
projects.
But he taught him how to getwater, how to use the machines,
how to write reports.

Speaker 2 (31:43):
This is digging boreholes and then find the
place where the water is.

Speaker 3 (31:46):
Yeah, when you're writing your report you have to
have the name, signature and allthat.
So he taught him the businesspart and also how to do the work
.
So, his plan with my brotherwas to get him into that, but
unfortunately he went he passedon.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
Yeah, and by the way he passed on, okay, we'll get
there.
He passed on when you weregraduating, so we'll get to that
part.
So you do your KCSE, but inmind have you settled that I'll
do engineering.

Speaker 3 (32:22):
I knew I wanted to do an engineering course, but at
that time I did not know whichparticular engineering course
that I will do, so we sat withhim after getting With who?
With my dad.
So after I got the results, wesat with him.

Speaker 2 (32:41):
What result did you get?
I got an A A-.
Yeah, we sat with him, welooked.
Result did you get I?

Speaker 3 (32:45):
got an A A-.
Yeah, we sat with him, welooked at my performances and
also my interests, and we alsosearched for the courses that I
can do that are more skillful,that I can do as I can employ
myself rather than you know, getemployed yeah.
Because he felt like he doesn'twant us to get employed.

(33:07):
He hated it.
He used to call us meetingsevery day to tell us to remind
you not to be employed.
To remind us you study, but noone is going to give you an
employment.

Speaker 2 (33:18):
But it's the reality of the market right now.
And even then, I think when Isay right now, it sounds like
when you guys had these meetingsa long time ago, but it's not.

Speaker 3 (33:27):
Yeah, so we discussed , we chose the course and I was
called to Jake Pat now to doelectrocardiogram.
But when?

Speaker 2 (33:33):
you choose your courses before you do your KCSE.
By that time you had anotherdiscussion with him on choices
that you make.

Speaker 3 (33:42):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (33:44):
And what was your first choices?

Speaker 3 (33:46):
My first choice.
I remember I chose, but I usedto hate biology so I did not
choose any course to do withhealth.
So I chose quantity survey.
I chose how is it called?
The one for drawing.
Ah, architecture, Architectureyeah, I also chose electrical

(34:07):
and electronics.

Speaker 2 (34:09):
So electrical and electronics was your third
choice.

Speaker 3 (34:12):
Yeah, my second.
I think my second my firstchoice was civil, civil.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
Civil engineering yeah.

Speaker 3 (34:19):
Us not civil, the drawing one Architecture.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
Yeah, which university, duke, duke, yeah,
which university.

Speaker 3 (34:26):
TUC.

Speaker 2 (34:27):
TUC, yeah, and for electrical and electronics.

Speaker 3 (34:29):
I chose.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
J-Quad and the other one architecture.

Speaker 3 (34:32):
I think quantity survey.

Speaker 2 (34:35):
Quantity survey yes, I chose TUC.
Tuc.
Oh, so TUC, tuc and J-Quad, ah,okay.

Speaker 3 (34:41):
We felt like those are the two universities at that
time that were more advanced interms of technology and
engineering Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (34:51):
You're right.
So, yeah, your father had donebackground research on which
university you should go and interms of how good they are and
what you wanted to do, and Iagree with him actually 100%.
So you settled on now let's go,let's do electronics and

(35:13):
electronics engineering.
Yeah, how is that?
How does that actuallytranspire now?
From now, you have decided thisis what you want to do and now
you're going to take what?

Speaker 3 (35:26):
Yeah, it just happened.
I was called then I juststarted on the course and he was
really supportive.
But now, while doing the course, he brought up the subject of
starting a business.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
While at the school.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
Yeah, he felt like you can study but if you don't,
know how to convert yourknowledge into business.
It's not really helping.
So he encouraged me to start abusiness.
So he asked me what business doyou think you can do?
What do you like doing, even ifit's not anything to do with

(36:06):
engineering?
Then I told him I like to bake,because even before he asked me
that question, I had boughtthis money that I had saved, so
I had bought an oven.
Then I told him I have boughtan oven, but now I don't have
the skills on how to bake, butit's something I feel I can do

(36:29):
and make money.
So he told me I don't thinkit's a good idea for you to take
a course in baking.
Why not go to someone who isbaking?
We pay him money or half, thenyou study from them.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
That's apprenticeship again.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (36:50):
So he gave me 5,000.
I went to a person who isbaking.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
That is in Jujia.

Speaker 3 (36:56):
In Jujia.
Still Then I learned how tobake.
Then after that, I started myown baking.

Speaker 2 (37:04):
I started baking.
So did you open like a wholebakery or just do it in-house
and then supply?

Speaker 3 (37:10):
I went to a one-bedroom house, so my sitting
room was for baking.

Speaker 2 (37:16):
So those students, my classmates who know me, who
have birthdays?

Speaker 3 (37:21):
And because I was also a student, it was easy for
me to maneuver to make forpeople birthday cakes to
advertise myself in schoolgroups.
So I was really making, but thefirst year I started that when
I was in second year, the firstyear I was making a loss.

Speaker 2 (37:38):
Why you used to spend more money than you sold your
cakes.

Speaker 3 (37:44):
I was not getting enough clients and also my
skills were not.
If you compare what I wasmaking and what was being sold
out there, I had not reallyperfected that skill, but when I
was now moving to third year mybusiness was catching up.
So, that's when I startedgetting a profit.
Through that profit, I asked mydad now I have this money, what

(38:09):
should I do?
This is the money I've made.

Speaker 2 (38:12):
How much had you made ?

Speaker 3 (38:14):
I had made around 35 to 50k and it was a span of like
.

Speaker 2 (38:19):
This is now profit.
You have paid all the bills.

Speaker 3 (38:24):
Some of it have.
You know, I started fromscratch, so I was also buying
stock, buying the pans.
We have the fondants that youuse, the ingredients and all
that.
So that was like the sparechange.
So he told me so now that youhave this money, why not expand
your business?
So he encouraged me to buy abigger oven.

(38:47):
So I bought a bigger oven andnow he told me, because you
can't manage to do that inschool and also study, you buy
an oven, bring it at home.
Then it's like opening a branchat home.
So I bought a big oven.
It was like for 9K but forJuakali.
So with that oven at home, Istarted using the help of my mom

(39:11):
, because my mom is wellconnected with the kanisas with
other ladies, so I startedbaking wedding cakes.
I bake birthday cakes.

Speaker 2 (39:22):
But how could you do that while in school or just
during the long holiday?

Speaker 3 (39:25):
During the long holiday and also when I was at
home.
It's like I taught my momNilimfunza how to do the baking,
wow.
So when I was at school we usedto, but now we mostly
concentrated on making the queencakes for the shops.
We just make a lot of them,then we supply every morning.

(39:45):
So I did that, but my mom wasnow doing the selling when I was
in school.
So it really boosted a lot.

Speaker 2 (39:55):
What about your brothers?
What did they want to learnfrom that?

Speaker 3 (40:00):
Actually my second, my brother, who is my immediate
brother, is actually even payinghis own school fees.

Speaker 2 (40:09):
Using baking.

Speaker 3 (40:10):
For him.
I don't know how he gotconnected with these people who
are doing the trading thing.
Oh, forex.
I don't understand how thatworks, but for him through that
he's able to he started buildinga house at home.

Speaker 2 (40:30):
I hope he's not in the wash wash.
You know those forest guys.
There's a rumor that most ofthem are not in the forest.

Speaker 3 (40:36):
I just see him using the phone telling me sim cards
but sim card what about SIM?

Speaker 2 (40:44):
cards.

Speaker 3 (40:47):
I think the PayPal things.

Speaker 2 (40:51):
So that you can send some of the money.
Yeah, okay.

Speaker 3 (40:53):
Because these PayPals get banned.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
Oh, they get blacklisted if you send some
amount.
Yeah, yeah, okay so.

Speaker 3 (41:02):
I think they became challenged through what I was
doing.
Okay, so he started.
He's connected with his friendsso he started doing forex, yeah
so through that money, butthrough that money he started
building at home.
He also started a business withpoultry.
He has also a tiktok tiktokaccount, which has more

(41:25):
followers than mine.

Speaker 2 (41:26):
Now I want to meet him because this is interesting.
So he's already in the businessof forex and also poultry.

Speaker 3 (41:33):
Yeah, so he's doing large-scale poultry At home, at
home.
So yeah, he has his own TikTokaccount where he does that, but
now my other brother for him thethird born now.
I think he's not interested inschool, so he dropped out.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
At what stage?

Speaker 3 (41:57):
At form two.
But now my dad was like as longas you are in my compound, you
must finish up to form 4.
So he has done the Form 4 thisyear.
So he was at home like for twoyears but he went to do the Form
4 during the exam period and hegot a C-plane.

(42:18):
So, I feel he passedconsidering he did not study for
Form 4 and part of Form 3.

Speaker 2 (42:26):
But now he's a tech savvy so does he do coding
programming I find him.

Speaker 3 (42:34):
He's more interested with this cyber security.
So you can find I don't know ifit's legal to say that on
cameras- no, it's fine so hedoes this copper solar unlocking
stuff.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
Oh yeah, he's really so.
He knows how to hack gadgets.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
Yeah, he knows how to hack, Because even the company
that I was working with as asoftware developer they were
commissioning these phones forLipa Mdogo Mdogo.

Speaker 2 (43:02):
Yeah, buy now, pay later.

Speaker 3 (43:04):
Yeah, so they used to take the services of my brother
and tell him we have this phone.
Can you try to unlock?
And see if the lock system thatwe are using is good.
Then he unlocks the phone.

Speaker 2 (43:19):
So after unlocking, now they know this service is
for locking, it needs to be moresecure.

Speaker 3 (43:24):
But now he doesn't want school.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (43:30):
No, there's nothing wrong with school or not wanting
it, because there are peopleactually who don't find value in
sitting and getting taught.
Yeah, but I understand him.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (43:39):
But now being at home and the environment at home,
you know you have so much moneyAlready.
Your mom is providing you witha lot of things, so that having
money and not knowing what to dowith that money I think has
interrupted his lifestyle.

(43:59):
So socially he's not really agood boy, but he knows how to
look for money.
So, I think there's a way mydad brought us in that
entrepreneurial side.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
So for him, he's an entrepreneur in his own way, His
own way.
Is he the last born or there'sanother?

Speaker 3 (44:21):
one.
There's another one who is innow form two.

Speaker 2 (44:23):
Form two how is he doing?

Speaker 3 (44:26):
We are burdened children, he's figuring things
out, he's still in school.

Speaker 2 (44:32):
Maybe you should, maybe even your other brother
should, guide him slowly nowthat your dad is passed on, to
guide him where necessary.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
I was talking about the baking.
So I expanded the business tohome.
But now after school it reallybecame.
I joined now the softwaredevelopment because my dad was
like you are an engineer.
But now the world that we aregoing into, especially now that

(45:05):
you are interested in IoT, youmust do a software engineering
course.
Yes.
So that's when I applied forsoftware development.
I got a scholarship withMoringa.

Speaker 2 (45:16):
With Moringa School.

Speaker 3 (45:17):
yeah, so by the time I was graduating, I was also
graduating with a softwaredeveloper.

Speaker 2 (45:23):
Yeah, as a software developer from Moringa.

Speaker 3 (45:25):
School From.

Speaker 2 (45:26):
Moringa School.
Yeah, how was that?

Speaker 3 (45:29):
It was.
I think the school is goodbecause it's project-based.
I love how they structure theircurriculum.
I think it helped me a lot.
Okay.
Yeah, but it's also.
It's not like you're spoon-fed.
Yeah, you have to canva, whereyou follow, but you want to

(45:49):
learn, but it's really good.

Speaker 2 (45:52):
Okay, very nice.
So you feel that's also addedinto electrical and electronic
engineering course that you'redoing.

Speaker 3 (45:59):
It added a lot, because now I feel like I can do
a bigger project with theknowledge that I have.
I can incorporate the software,the electronics and IoT.
Okay yeah.

Speaker 2 (46:13):
So now you are at the university and you know, the
thing that I find about Juja orJquartz, thing that I find about
Juja or Jquot of KenyattaUniversity of Technology and
Agriculture, is it Agricultureand Technology.
Agriculture and Technology.

(46:34):
It's more technical thanAgriculture, majorly Diggarton,
which is supposed to be okay.
It's purely Agriculture.
You know, when I think aboutthat, our forefathers are
actually a division.

Speaker 3 (46:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (46:49):
Like they even set out universities to specialize,
and one of those universities isChimokinata University of
Agriculture and Technology.
There's Diggerton, which ismore agricultural centric.
There's Moi, I think, is moreagricultural centric.
There's MOI.
Moi, I think, is more law andstuff.

Speaker 3 (47:08):
Law and education.

Speaker 2 (47:10):
Education.
Ku is education mostly.
University of Nairobi iseverything, because that's the
mother of all these otheruniversities.
Tum was more of a diploma.
If you do a good diploma fromKenya Poly, which is now
Technical University of Kenya,even you do a good diploma from
Kenya Poly, which is nowTechnical.
University of Kenya.
Even you told me earlier on, ifyou do electrical and
electronics engineering, someonewith a diploma actually is more

(47:33):
advanced than you are, becausethey're more practical.
So you can see, actually theyhad a vision.
And the reason I'm mentioningthis is because, with our
investors, nowadays everyone isgetting a charter, as long as
you can pay for it.
I don't know how they get it,but most of the universities
have a charter, some of themeven if they're not accredited.

Speaker 3 (47:50):
They're not accredited, but they still offer
.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
Yes, and they're still offering these diplomas
and degrees.
I don't know if later on theywill be declared null and void.
We have universities that maybesomeone who got a first class
is the one who is teachinginstead of masters and above.
So there is that challenge, butfor you in J-Quad, you have the
best of the best teaching you.
How is that experience?

Speaker 3 (48:13):
The experience was good and there is also
competition among the students.

Speaker 2 (48:17):
Because you are meeting alliance girls
graduating meeting.

Speaker 3 (48:22):
By default, you find yourself being competitive
because other people are alsoinnovating.

Speaker 2 (48:29):
And they're more practical.
Yeah, and do you get theJujamaika things there?

Speaker 3 (48:39):
Yeah, there's Jujamaika comes a lot with a lot
of things.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
You go to Jigwat.
It's a package.

Speaker 3 (48:45):
I can't say I was the most angel person when I was in
.
Jigwat.
Of course I was a student inJigwat.
Yes, yes, I did all the thingsthat Jigwat comes with Did you
smoke a blunt?

Speaker 2 (48:58):
I think I did once or twice, just trying things out.

Speaker 3 (49:02):
I think my perception was I don't want to be told
that drugs are bad.
Yes.
Bangi is bad.
When I was in Jiquat I saidI'll try and with myself.
I know it's bad, yes, so Ithink I tried everything, but I
don't use them you found it'sreally bad.

Speaker 2 (49:22):
I found it's not like .
I think I tried everything, butI don't use them.
You found it's really bad.

Speaker 3 (49:23):
I found it's not like the most good thing that you
can do with your life, yeah, soI stopped, but I can say I tried
.

Speaker 2 (49:36):
Thank you for your honesty.
There's someone who is supposedto be here because every time I
tell her I know Jamaica peopleproperly, she's always dodging
yeah, when you're in Jujia,especially when you're a student
.

Speaker 3 (49:49):
You are exposed to such so at some point in your
life, unless you are an SDA orsomething.
You are isolating yourself.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
The Jujia SDA, isolating yourself at some point
at some point you'll comeacross.

Speaker 3 (50:03):
Yeah.
Because your classmates arepartying and you just can't say
in five years, you'll never goto a birthday party.

Speaker 2 (50:12):
Or maybe a bash or something.
Yeah, and it's actually noteven jayquat alone, or maybe
even in KU they are known forother things, which are your
immediate neighbours.
Ku also are known for otherthings.
So at this age actually, peopleexplore and they do all the
wrong things that they are notsupposed to do, and also they

(50:35):
are smart people, so for somereason they feel like.
You know, I've been studying sohard.
Here is my freedom.
Let me explore, and for you toexplore.
You find this is not what Iwant to do.

Speaker 3 (50:46):
This is not.
It's not productive.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (50:49):
So your baking business now started thriving.

Speaker 3 (50:53):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (50:53):
Is it in between these baking business that you
try these things, or?

Speaker 3 (50:57):
just before, I think now, when I was doing the baking
.
Now it's when I had the moneyand when you take the cake you
follow the cake to see how theclient appreciates it.
I'm exposed to parties now andI used to bake at night.
Then when I go to class in themorning, I go and deliver.

Speaker 2 (51:16):
And then in the evening you go and cut the cake.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
Then in the evening I go, maybe collect my payments.
Let me ask you now acontroversial question.

Speaker 2 (51:25):
Now that you're making cakes, have you ever
gotten a request to make edible?
The cookies, maybe the cookiesor even the cake that is least.

Speaker 3 (51:32):
Yes, I used to make, did you?

Speaker 2 (51:35):
Oh, you did, you used to.
So you know how to balance thechemistry, yeah.

Speaker 3 (51:38):
I did make them, yeah , but I think something I cannot
make.
Sorry, because when I was infourth year.
Because I have money.
I don't have anything to dowith money.
My dad is being a parent, sohe's paying the rent.
Because, again, I'm a girl.
He's not like a girlfriend foryourself.

(52:00):
So I had the money.
Yeah, it's not like girlfriendfor yourself, so I had the money
, yeah.
So I used to try to try allthis.
You can find like someoneapproaches you make for me this,
and I'm curious, let me see howit goes.

Speaker 2 (52:12):
Where did you get the recipe?
Because I hear, if you don'tbalance the chemistry properly,
these people can be people whotell you to make.

Speaker 3 (52:20):
Some of them know how to make.
Oh just that they don't have aperson.
Who can you know?

Speaker 2 (52:25):
Do it for them.

Speaker 3 (52:26):
The oven and the person who can do.

Speaker 2 (52:29):
And were these mostly ladies, or they were men?
Men?

Speaker 3 (52:33):
But some ladies also.

Speaker 2 (52:35):
Yeah, I hear, ladies love cookies.

Speaker 3 (52:38):
Yeah, they do.
Yeah, you make the cookies withthe things in them.
But, I stopped that because Ifelt it can get me into trouble
and I have to finish.

Speaker 2 (52:50):
Because it's not legal in Kenya.
Yeah, but I think all over theworld it's becoming legal and
there's some guidelines aroundit.
I think in Zambia, I don't know, some African countries have
started legalizing it.
I'm not sure which country.
Maybe it must be the southernpart of the continent.
Yeah, so interesting.

(53:10):
So that's quite interesting.
Did you sell them higher thanthe other normal?

Speaker 3 (53:16):
cakes, of course, because it's also risky Did they
bring the stuff for you.

Speaker 2 (53:20):
Did you go to get the contents?
No, they bring the stuff foryou.
Did you go to get the contents?
They bring the stuff because Idon't know where to get it.

Speaker 3 (53:27):
They did bring the stuff, then make with them, but
now I think I did it like threetimes.
Then I stopped.
You can't make something thatyou don't test.
But it's like I made it to seehow it goes I was just, I made

(53:48):
it out of curiosity, okay, butnow I made it like three and
then I saw it's bringing a lotof attention to me, which can
get me in trouble.
I just stuck into bakingBirthday cakes, wedding cakes
and all that.

Speaker 2 (54:07):
So up to fifth year, you were just baking.
Yeah, I was baking On the sideand it used to really give you
good cash.

Speaker 3 (54:12):
It used to bring me a lot of cash, and now you don't
have any responsibilities, so Iused to save that money.
Then after my fifth year I toldmy dad this is the money I have
, so what do you see I caninvest in?
So then he told me there issome land I have.
You give me the money.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
I put trees for you how much, by this time, have you
made?

Speaker 3 (54:38):
I have made around around 180 200.
That's good money.

Speaker 2 (54:44):
Yeah, guys in school just doing and cramming
presentations and trying to getfirst class, which you maybe
might never get, try some youknow business.
Try maybe Okay, not everyonewho is good business.
Maybe find an internship, thatone really opened my mind.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (55:01):
Because now, through that, you know how to hustle you
know, how to look for gigs.
You know how to talk to bargainfor a price.
Because there's someone you cansell for them a cake for 1K,
even for 2K, but there's someoneyou can sell it at 1,500.
So you know how to interact thebusiness side, it really opened

(55:25):
my mind.

Speaker 2 (55:26):
And also as an engineer, since you don't have
most time you actually interactwith gadgets than people.
That also was another way ofseeing the business side of
things.
Now, at what point did youstart now venturing into, you
know, electric and electronicsengineering?

Speaker 3 (55:47):
So it came.
You see, constantly my dad usedto tell me you just go to
school, get a skill, then usethat skill to make money.
So when I finished mygraduation, my plan that we had
set is for me to do masters.
But now my dad died.

(56:07):
He died like on a Saturday andI graduated on a Tuesday, so
when he died I was fortunate toget a job as a software
developer, but it was not areally good paying job.
So after that contract endednow I was thinking I don't have

(56:32):
connections.

Speaker 2 (56:33):
Yes, you don't have an uncle.

Speaker 3 (56:35):
I don't have an uncle .
The person who could get meconnections is dead.
My relatives all the promisesthat they give you during the
burial it ends after burialEveryone now minds their own
business.
So it's you and you.
So I approached my mom.

(56:56):
I told her yes, I've been doingthe job, but this job has just
been paying my bills.
I don't have enough savings tostart a business and looking for
a job now.
If others are looking for a joband they are not getting, what
will make me have a job?
And yet I don't have that muchexperience, I don't have

(57:18):
connections, like they say.
So I told my mom I have thisidea why not support me in
paying rent?

Speaker 2 (57:28):
And I'm not coming home.
What idea was this?

Speaker 3 (57:30):
The idea was to start the IOT, to start just doing
the projects for.
IOT and software and alsomentoring IoT and software and
also mentoring.
So I told my mom I have thisidea, but now I don't think I
can support myself in Nairobi asI actualize my idea and I don't
want to come home because if Icome home that's the end for me.

(57:54):
So I told him just pay for merent for the next three months.
There's a person who I haveidentified.
They have a workshop and inthat workshop I think it's a
good environment where I canstart my ideas.
So I went and wrote down what Iwant to do.

Speaker 2 (58:14):
That is a proposal.
You wrote a proposal.

Speaker 3 (58:17):
You know, now, when you don't have an option, that
is the only option you have.
It's not like you are saying.
I'll just do this one a littlebit.

Speaker 2 (58:27):
As I wait for that to materialize.
Yeah, so this is the only planI had.

Speaker 3 (58:33):
Yeah, so I wrote down a plan.
I said I want to start thisidea where I make for people
websites, I make for themprojects, but now I don't have
clients and there's no one outthere who knows what I'm doing,
so how will I tap into that?
The idea of online came came inmind to start to start a tiktok

(58:57):
yeah, where in every projectthat I do, I show people what I
do and all that.
So I approached the person thatI was telling you who was their
workshop.
Then I told him I have theseideas, but now I can't be able
to pay rent for the first threemonths, so you'll accommodate me
.
Then, after three months, ifthey start bringing income, then

(59:21):
I'll be assisting in payingrent.
Yeah, so that's how I started.
I started making projects forstudents.
I made banners where I tellstudents you know, I can show
you how to use Arduino, how toprogram, how to make websites.
You just hit me up.
Then I made those posters.

(59:41):
I distributed them in groupsfor JQuart.
Within no time I got like threestudents.
So the projects that I did forthose students, I used them in
my platform.
They brought traffic and allthat.

Speaker 2 (59:59):
So wait a minute, there's something that you just
passed through, this person yousaid you told me about.
Please talk about how you metProfessor.
What is his name?

Speaker 3 (01:00:10):
Logan Machoka.
Logan Machoka, he's a doctor.

Speaker 2 (01:00:13):
Yes, how did you guys meet?
Because that meeting was reallyinteresting for me.

Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
Yeah, so I approached him.
He's containers, containers.
Containers is where most of ourparties used to happen when I
was in campus, so I used tobring cakes a lot around
containers.
So, uh, and that shop islocated in containers.
So I just I went and asked forthe owner of that shop and it

(01:00:43):
happened to be a professor whois a professor at Chuka
University.
So I took his number and made adate with him and now we
started the discussion.

Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
Yes, and you can see.
Actually this is KateAnascomirobe on TikTok, yeah,
where she has around 7,150followers, and she's been doing
this just for one year, guys.
So for those who are usingTikTok, the reason why I've
opened this page is just to showguys, you know, the guys who

(01:01:18):
are doing TikTok for the wrongreasons, yeah, which actually
will never even monetize, yeah,and they wrong reasons, yeah,
which actually will never evenmonetize, yeah, and they are
ladies.
Yeah, Okay, Not that even menare not doing it, but people are
doing like generally, peopleare using TikTok for the wrong
reasons.
Yeah, so Kate actually has beendoing this.
You can see a lot of workshopvideos.
Of course, as a lady, she hasto post something nice.

Speaker 3 (01:01:38):
Actually she has to post something nice.
Actually that one, it's aproject that I was doing.

Speaker 2 (01:01:42):
Oh, this one.

Speaker 3 (01:01:45):
You see, we found out that these are 360 booths.
360 booths if you import themfrom China.
They cost around 350k.
So we thought why not?

Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
make them from scratch.
Okay, are you making those?

Speaker 3 (01:02:02):
Yeah, I do sell them.

Speaker 2 (01:02:04):
How much do you sell yours we?

Speaker 3 (01:02:05):
sell and hire at around 90K.

Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
You have one customer here.
Yeah, the guy behind the camera.

Speaker 3 (01:02:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:02:11):
I've seen him actually, with his friends,
offer that service in ourcompany.

Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
So I think maybe you guys, after all, you can connect
and see.

Speaker 3 (01:02:20):
So we hire and we also make for people those you
see that launching a 360 photobooth, that's the time that you
are launching that product.

Speaker 2 (01:02:30):
So everything here is business.
You can see Okay, people can'tsee what am I lighting, but yeah
, all these are all projects andyou can see some of them have
some super, super amazing views,and this is the first one.

Speaker 3 (01:02:45):
That's my first video .
I was doing wiring.
I actually got a contract inNakuru.
Then the person was like youare an electrical engineer, why
not collect some of your peopleand come and do wiring?
For me installation.

(01:03:06):
So, yeah, we went and did theinstallation.
It was around 12 bed-sitters,so we did the wiring.

Speaker 2 (01:03:15):
And you can see when you're inspiring some other guys
here saying it's your job.
I'm also an electrical engineer, yeah, but interesting.
So there's one that actually wehave done with Africa Stalking.
You can't locate it right now,but yeah, let me.

Speaker 3 (01:03:33):
It's that one.
This one the same row, thesecond last one.

Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
Ah, this one Making uses deal with M-Pesa and Porto
for our clients.
Ah, this one Making USSD withM-Pesa and Porto for a client.

Speaker 3 (01:03:45):
Yeah, that one.
I used the Africa Stalkingbecause it was there were people
who were asking me where I gotthe USSD.
So I was saying you can checkAfrica Stalking.

Speaker 2 (01:04:01):
So I think I don't think this one.
I saw there's another one thatactually you're working on your
table of you know, but guys cancheck it out.
So check Kate and you can seeshe has some amazing, amazing
views over 40,000 views.
Yeah, so I mean, I just wantedto highlight that.

(01:04:24):
Yeah, so I mean, guys, it canbe done.
So you started promotingyourself on TikTok, yeah, and
what was your first interaction?
Do you ever get cyberbullying?
Do you get people with negativeenergy?

Speaker 3 (01:04:44):
The first obstacle that I found is people.
Some people don't believe thatyou can do what you're saying.
You can do.

Speaker 2 (01:04:55):
They think this is for the show.

Speaker 3 (01:04:57):
And also because I'm a lady, so someone can be having
a project and they maybe don'tbelieve you can deliver.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
So this is when you meet them, or even through the
comments or DMs.

Speaker 3 (01:05:13):
Even the DMs, people think that you are not the one
doing the project, so you'rejust promoting the project.

Speaker 2 (01:05:22):
Yeah, and I think that's very important for a lot
of ladies.

Speaker 3 (01:05:25):
But now, when they give you now the project and you
do it and you deliver, now theygain trust and now these
referrals.
You find that now, becauseyou've done this for us, the
next project they will also giveyou.
So let me ask you, now thatyou've done this for us, the
next?

Speaker 2 (01:05:42):
project they will also give you yeah.
So let me ask you, now thatyou've said that there is this
mistrust and you know, doubt.
So if someone gave you theirwhole house, you'd electrify all
of it according to theelectrical standards.

Speaker 3 (01:05:57):
Yeah of that.
But you see I have also my teambecause I can't do Okay, okay,
yeah, alone, yeah of that.
But you see I have also my teambecause I can't do Alone yeah,
for sure, but you can design,you know the trunking,
everything.

Speaker 2 (01:06:09):
But of course you'll need people to, maybe.

Speaker 3 (01:06:11):
But now I felt that part of electrical.
I stopped concentrating much onthat Because I felt it needs a
lot of handy you know, you haveto be there.
You have to be there, and itneeds a lot of manpower.
Especially when there arestorages you need to climb, so I

(01:06:33):
felt let me concentrate onelectronics and also coding,
because that is what I am goodat.
So I went with electronics andcoding, which is now IoT.

Speaker 2 (01:06:46):
I hear you.
I see you are very smart.
You don't want anything that isso involving.

Speaker 3 (01:06:51):
I feel you go for what you think is best for you.
You just understand.
You focus on your strength.
Yeah you focus on your strengthInstead of wasting time on
improving on your what you are,on your strength Ah, interesting
, instead of wasting time onimproving on your yeah, what
you're not good at, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:07:06):
Okay, I see, so you get this job for software
engineering.
Yeah, just immediately afteryou finish, mm-hmm.
Was it a job or internship?

Speaker 3 (01:07:16):
It was an internship, internship, an internship.
Which company was this?
It's called.

Speaker 2 (01:07:23):
Okay, we don't remember, that's fine, I
remember.

Speaker 3 (01:07:28):
It's actually a person from the CEO is vying for
MP in South Mogirango.

Speaker 2 (01:07:40):
The.

Speaker 3 (01:07:40):
CEO of that company.
Just the last election.
Yeah, the last election.
The last election, even theother one.
They were vying with my dad.

Speaker 2 (01:07:47):
Oh, even your dad was vying for a position.
Yeah, but they lost.
Yeah, he lost.
Even last time, it's Osoro thatyou guys elected.

Speaker 3 (01:07:58):
Yeah, it was Osoro.

Speaker 2 (01:08:00):
So your dad must be very popular in your yeah, he is
.

Speaker 3 (01:08:03):
But now, that is his life, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:08:07):
I like how you try to separate it.
Yeah, so did you also share howto run for office?
Maybe someday you'll run foroffice.

Speaker 3 (01:08:18):
I don't think I was when he was doing the campaign.
I was not at home, I was mostlyat school.

Speaker 2 (01:08:25):
And also it's not like the part that he wanted you
to learn.

Speaker 3 (01:08:28):
I think he felt like he's in the stage of his life
where he wants now.
You know, when people now havemoney, they look for influence
and power so he felt like it'ssomething he can try to.
I think it was one of thethings that he wanted to do in
his life and also he was aleader in very many things.

(01:08:54):
So he felt like why not trypolitics?
Okay?

Speaker 2 (01:08:59):
Alright, sounds interesting, so I don't know the
company.
Is it on phone?
Yeah, on phone media.
Yeah, yeah.
So they also do some SMS.

Speaker 3 (01:09:10):
Yeah, they do SMS.

Speaker 2 (01:09:11):
Yeah, yeah, so you worked there for six months.

Speaker 3 (01:09:16):
Yeah, I did work there for six months.

Speaker 2 (01:09:19):
And after that.

Speaker 3 (01:09:20):
Then, after that, I started my own.

Speaker 2 (01:09:22):
But they wanted to offer you a full time.

Speaker 3 (01:09:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:09:25):
Why did you not take it?

Speaker 3 (01:09:27):
I feel like.
I felt like I'm not ready forI've not tapped into my at least
let me try the ideas that Ihave.
If I fail, I say I tried that Ifailed, so let me try the ideas
that I have.
If I fail, I say I tried and Ifailed, so let me try employment
first.

Speaker 2 (01:09:47):
But employment was not at the top of the list.

Speaker 3 (01:09:49):
It was not at the top and I felt like we have had so
many discussions with my dadabout trying out the ideas that
I have learnt in school.
Why not try them out Then proveif they really work?

Speaker 2 (01:10:04):
So at ONFON you didn't feel like you can try
them out.
Yeah, it was limiting.

Speaker 3 (01:10:09):
Yeah, I felt like it was limiting and because I'm an
intern, I don't get to beexposed to the big projects that
they are doing and I felt likegoing 8 to 5 is too much.

Speaker 2 (01:10:27):
She's an entrepreneur .
Yeah, so after leaving Onfon,you just go and start now that
business with Professor.

Speaker 3 (01:10:35):
Yeah, and when I was in Onfon, at that time I was
really stressed.
It was like because I buried mydad.
Then after two weeks I went tothat job.
So I was ever stressed.

Speaker 2 (01:10:49):
So you're still mourning, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:10:51):
I was ever stressed, I think I was not the best
employee.
I used to miss most of these.
I was not going to job and it'snot like you can tell them, you
know today I'm not feelingbecause they don't.
I feel like in any job, theywant you to bring money, be

(01:11:14):
productive.
So I felt like starting to tellthem you know I'm missing
because I was even undertreatment.
I was even under treatment.
I was not getting sleep.

Speaker 2 (01:11:25):
Oh, you had insomnia.

Speaker 3 (01:11:26):
Yeah.
So I was not in the rightmindset.
So I felt like I'm stressingmyself.
So I felt why not just stopwith the schedule of work, take
time and think, give myself timeto mourn, then try something

(01:11:46):
else?

Speaker 2 (01:11:47):
Come back when you feel like so by this time you
had engaged the professor aboutstarting a business together.

Speaker 3 (01:11:53):
I engaged the professor two months after the
job.

Speaker 2 (01:12:00):
So you had to take two months to just figure it out
.

Speaker 3 (01:12:03):
To just figure out what I'm going to do.
Also to like rest, because Ifelt I was stressed every time.
I even migrated from the placeI was staying.

Speaker 2 (01:12:14):
Which is.

Speaker 3 (01:12:15):
Juja.
Yeah, I was staying in Cabanasbecause on phone it's in Cabanas
.

Speaker 2 (01:12:20):
Mombasa, rodea, yeah, so I was staying in pipeline.

Speaker 3 (01:12:24):
So I came back again to Juja.
I felt like Juja is a place Iknow well.
I've done business.

Speaker 2 (01:12:31):
A lot of opportunities.
I know people.

Speaker 3 (01:12:33):
And there's also students.
So if you start something it'seasier to market it because it's
a familiar environment.
So I said let me go back toJuja.
If it doesn't work, I'll goback home or back to Kisii.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:12:54):
But it eventually worked.

Speaker 3 (01:12:55):
Yeah, we are still working.

Speaker 2 (01:12:57):
So is it?
At this point?
Now you are visiting aprofessor's shop.

Speaker 3 (01:13:01):
I knew the shop, I was seeing it.
It's like I had eyed it, liketo see it.
So I tried other shops also.
But now that one was, I feltlike it was the best place.
And now the owner was into myideas Because I told him he's

(01:13:25):
also an engineer a professor.
He felt like the ideas that Ihave could grow and we could
also grow together, like now the360 photo book that we are
doing he's into photography.

(01:13:46):
Yes, even though he's doing thelecturing, he's also good at
photography.
Yeah, so we partnered.
Then we said why not bring aproduct that you can use?
But now I use also my knowledge.
We built that one, so it waslike a project.
We merged, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:14:08):
Quite interesting to hear how you know the
engineering is fusing withphotography.
Software engineering is fusingwith the hardware.
Yeah.
And for you, actually, you arevery clear that I want to do IoT
because that's, your softwareactually fuses with the
electricals.
Yeah, right, and you pitch thisidea to the professor and he's
like, okay, this makes a lot ofsense.

(01:14:28):
And even before you partnered,actually we had this
conversation going on.
Yeah, uh, at what point did yousay, okay, professor, I want to
use your workstation.
How can we work it out?

Speaker 3 (01:14:39):
So at first it was hard, because you know the
person looks at now I'm givingyou this shop but you don't have
, you, don't?
You are saying you don't havemoney to pay, to pay.
I think it just took a faith, aleap of faith.

Speaker 2 (01:15:00):
Yeah, so he was like he just believed in me yeah, and
he started and you said give methree months yeah, just give me
three months.

Speaker 3 (01:15:08):
If it doesn't work, then it's okay.

Speaker 2 (01:15:12):
I'll pack my bags.
Yeah, and in three months.
This is actually when youstarted the TikTok, just to
market yourself yeah and you arevery, you are very consistent
actually, because what you havejust seen in a few minutes was
just one year work.

Speaker 3 (01:15:28):
Yeah, actually, it's less than a year Less than a
year.
Because I started around, wasit March?

Speaker 2 (01:15:34):
March last year.

Speaker 3 (01:15:35):
Yeah, okay, it's one year, so you just clocked one
year.

Speaker 2 (01:15:38):
Yeah, and you have gotten so many businesses
through this marketing.
Yeah.
What was the challenge, thehardest challenge in this thing,
because you know, for me, Iactually DMed you on TikTok.
You can see I'm struggling toget followers.
I have like 48, no 78 followers.

(01:15:59):
Okay, that's my DJ page For you.
Are you in that position whereyou feel like, oh man, I'm not
getting any followers?

Speaker 3 (01:16:07):
Okay, I was very strategic on picking my niche
because I knew my niche is notmale dominated and when I'm
taking the videos, I show whatI'm taking the videos, I show
what I'm doing.
It's not like I tell you, I'mshowing you what I'm doing.

(01:16:28):
So I think there's that trustyou gain with people.
People can feel theauthenticity that you're
bringing Through, that you justget followers.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:16:45):
For myself and the rest of the struggling people.
It's not like we don't showwhat we are doing for some
reason I can't now say what Idon't know.

Speaker 3 (01:16:58):
I think people feel the energy that I bring.

Speaker 2 (01:17:02):
I'll go and try and show what I'm doing.
Maybe I don't show enough ofwhat I'm doing, but ideally I
think that goes a long way.
But do you think also TikTokalgorithm are more friendly, are
more you know?

Speaker 3 (01:17:13):
for starters, yeah, but again, there's consistency.
Can't post uh one video, thenyou post another one.
You should post especially whenyou are starting, you should
post a lot so that it, it like,reaches many people.

(01:17:37):
If this video doesn't reach,there's the second video that I
have so many videos to give you.
So, it will reach more people.

Speaker 2 (01:17:45):
So there's that consistency.
Yeah, please tell us more aboutthe projects that you've built
so far, like in detail, forthose who don't know you at all.

Speaker 3 (01:17:57):
So I've done a couple of projects.
I do websites, web designs I'vebuilt you of projects.
I do websites, web designs I'vebuilt you can find someone
telling you I want a website formy car wash.
I want a website for mybusiness.
I've also done now for thecompany that not the company,

(01:18:18):
the business that I'm workingwith I felt like I should make
something like a salesmanagement system for that
business.
So I've also built a salesmanagement system that we are
using.
I've also done the USSDintegrations.
I've done a project with an IOT, project for Stadlock.

(01:18:43):
A Stadlock is like for the.
You see the way the controlcomes and locks your car and
then now you have to pay, likethe fine, but now that money is
not registered in the countyoffice.

(01:19:04):
So I made a project in that themoment you lock the wheel it's
recorded and it will only openwhen you make the payments.

Speaker 2 (01:19:13):
So this is an IoT automated it's now an IoT one.
The only part that human isinvolved is locking.

Speaker 3 (01:19:19):
Yeah, it's only locking, but the moment you make
the payments it unlocks andother counties.
I've posted that project.

Speaker 2 (01:19:29):
Okay on the TikTok videos.

Speaker 3 (01:19:31):
I've also done a fruit sorting system and even my
undergraduate project.
At that time it was the timefor Corona, so I felt like, why
not come up with a project whichsolves the social distancing
part?
It was a vehicle project and inthat project it makes sure that

(01:19:58):
there is no standing passengersin the vehicle and it also
makes sure that socialdistancing is met and whenever
any of the rules is broken, youknow there's the SMS that you
are given the notification andalso I made the system for as
the owner of the vehicle.

(01:20:18):
I can know the amount of moneythat my vehicle has collected at
different stages.
So if it's in Thika, I'll knowthe vehicle has taken five
passengers.
This is the money that it hascollected.
So my work is just to come tomy website see the total amount
of money that I've collected atdifferent points.

(01:20:42):
So that was a reallyinteresting project that I've
collected at different points.

Speaker 2 (01:20:44):
So that was a really interesting project that I did
and let me ask you this Do youthink, because your projects are
closing most of the gaps, thatpeople consider business or
entrepreneurship, but basicallythey are either corruption or a
retrogressive approach?
Entrepreneurship, but basicallythey are either corruption or,
you know, retrogressive approachtowards what you're supposed to

(01:21:06):
do as an employee, as a civilservant?
Have you implemented this inany county?
Have you experienced anychallenge?

Speaker 3 (01:21:17):
Not yet.
I've not implemented it.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:21:21):
So this tells me then there are really good, good
ideas out there.

Speaker 3 (01:21:25):
They're really good smart people Of course they're
smart people and they're goodideas, but not the problem of
corruption.
Who is going to fund yourproject?
And all that.
People owning the project isreally.

Speaker 2 (01:21:39):
It's a challenge, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:21:42):
So you find that you now stop concentrating on
innovation and now concentratingon making now money, which is
the normal projects makingwebsites that you know people
will buy and not concentratemuch on innovation.
Yes, because even if youinnovate, probably you'll still

(01:22:02):
stay with your project.

Speaker 2 (01:22:04):
And you might even sleep hungry, by the way, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:22:08):
It's not logical.

Speaker 2 (01:22:11):
These are innovation weeks that happen in different
places across the country andalso at JECWA they always have
this tech expo.
Have you tried to showcase someof these projects there?

Speaker 3 (01:22:22):
When I was in campus I did, but now that I'm out,
I've not yet joined thoseprograms, but it's something I'm
planning to do.

Speaker 2 (01:22:33):
Because I feel like some of your projects would be a
game changer in a lot of waysfor people and it could even
bring down some of those fines,because, also, you know when a
fine is determined.
I think they look also on thetrouble that you cause, yeah, or
the trouble they have to gothrough to actually clear you to
proceed.
And, of course, you know wehave always had challenges with

(01:22:57):
the traffic.
Yeah, we've always hadchallenges with the county
council and municipality.
So I feel like it's a niche.
There's a niche there, but Imean there needs to be more
highs on the project.
And also, from where I stand, Ifeel like not only will this
apply in Kenya, but it can applyin Africa in different

(01:23:20):
countries.
So 54 of them.
So some of these tech expos,innovation weeks where you can
just showcase your projects,would be very ideal to see it,
and also TikTok, as you put it.

Speaker 3 (01:23:35):
This now goes all over and I found that people
want to learn these skills.
So the way I'm doing theprojects and I found that people
want to learn these skills, sothe way I'm doing the projects I
got that people are approachingme to teach them IoT.
I've actually taught somepeople from Tanzania online.

Speaker 2 (01:23:58):
Nice, like how many of them?

Speaker 3 (01:23:59):
Like three.
I've mentored three people fromTanzania and they're ready to
pay for it.

Speaker 2 (01:24:05):
Yeah, they pay people ?

Speaker 3 (01:24:06):
people want knowledge , but they don't know how to get
it and get it well, yes,especially practical knowledge
especially.
Yeah.
So, and also in juja I foundthat these kids, they come, they
see what you're doing, theyfeel like hey, I see what you're
doing, they feel like hey.
I love what you're doing.
So I started teaching kids oncoding.
So I've taught around five kidson but now I start with Scratch

(01:24:31):
, the Scratch for the kids.
So yeah, I've taught kidsScratch.

Speaker 2 (01:24:34):
How much do you charge per kid?

Speaker 3 (01:24:36):
Per kid 30.

Speaker 2 (01:24:37):
30,000?
.

Speaker 3 (01:24:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:24:39):
For the whole course.
Yeah, this is Scratch or justalso basic coding.

Speaker 3 (01:24:45):
We start with Scratch because you can start with the
advanced coding, so I just teachthem Scratch.
Then from there you can codeScratch actually and use it to
make an IoT project.
So, we make remote controlbulbs using the scratch that
they learn and I find them mostof them feel motivated.

(01:25:07):
Even you'll find them coming tolearn after school.

Speaker 2 (01:25:13):
Because it's cool, yeah, and do you go to them or
they come to the workshop?

Speaker 3 (01:25:16):
They come to the workshop.

Speaker 2 (01:25:19):
Because now that presents a lot of challenges.
Yeah, they come to the workshop.

Speaker 3 (01:25:22):
Because now that presents a lot of challenges.

Speaker 2 (01:25:23):
They come to the workshop.
Maybe okay, I don't know Maybewe can think of ways to
democratize the way they accessthis, because, also, I feel like
maybe it's about time engineerseven thought about opening kids
engineering kind of schools,the problem is now the funding
because to access many studentsand be able to teach all of them

(01:25:48):
, because they can't come withlaptops, because to be able to
teach a student how to code,they must come with a laptop.

Speaker 3 (01:25:56):
There's the finance of buying the components, so you
find that we are limited to acertain number of kids.
So if we find some funding,some place to do that stuff, I
think it will be the best thing,especially now that we are
going to a world of tech.
I think it's good for the kidsto learn such skills instead of

(01:26:20):
even learning other things thatdon't help them.

Speaker 2 (01:26:23):
True, true.
I think we'll have aconversation off the cameras
after this to explore ways thatactually we can see what we can
do in relation to that.
So what is next for kids?
What is in the works?
I hear there is a lot.
I want to focus more on forkids.

Speaker 3 (01:26:43):
What is in the works?
I hear there is a lot.
Yeah, I want to focus more onnow building myself.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:26:49):
Even expanding the business that I have Mentoring
more people Coming with moreinnovations yeah, and here, when
you say innovation, it'sbuilding practical projects,
yeah, and is there anything inthe works?

Speaker 3 (01:27:09):
At the moment we are concentrating on the booth
because it's now a new productthat we have, so we are trying
to push it.

Speaker 2 (01:27:17):
Booth is the one that 360?

Speaker 3 (01:27:19):
Yeah, but also I don't know if I'm supposed to
say but on the kids' part,there's a project I'm working on
them to make their learningeasier.
Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:27:33):
Yeah, please safeguard your idea as much as
possible.
Yeah, okay, and are you lookingfor collaborators, partners,
investors?

Speaker 3 (01:27:45):
I'm really looking for them, but I don't know how
to get them, and I also thinkthat I also want to get someone
to.
It's like a mentor or someonewho can hold my hand, Because
you know now what I've started.
I've started from scratch andit's just one year, and I feel
like if I get people, especiallythe people with power, to

(01:28:09):
assist us, we can go further andeven influence more people.

Speaker 2 (01:28:15):
How many are you in your workshop?

Speaker 3 (01:28:17):
We are around three, three, three, but we have also
the people who do thephotography.

Speaker 2 (01:28:23):
We are around five, five, but we have also the
people who do the photography.
We are around five, five.
Yeah, a total of five plus theprofessor or just the guys in
the workshop.

Speaker 3 (01:28:30):
The guys in the workshop and what we are doing.
You see, the people in theworkshop it's only one who has
done a degree in electrical andelectronics.
The others you find that theyhave finished the form four but
now they don't have money to goto college or to go to somewhere
.
So we take them, we teach themthings like phone repairs, these

(01:28:54):
skills that we are sure theycan get something.

Speaker 2 (01:28:59):
So that one person who has finished electronics and
electrical engineering it's youor there is someone else.
It's me and there's another guy, so you're two of you.

Speaker 3 (01:29:10):
We are two of us.

Speaker 2 (01:29:11):
Are you the only lady ?

Speaker 3 (01:29:13):
Yeah, I'm the only lady.

Speaker 2 (01:29:15):
Interesting, so there is support that is needed on
that line.

Speaker 3 (01:29:19):
Yeah, I feel like if we get more support, we can do a
lot and can impact a lot ofpeople.

Speaker 2 (01:29:26):
For sure, this podcast will go a long way in
reaching out to more people.

Speaker 3 (01:29:31):
Especially in the mentorship, there's a lot of
people who want to learn, butnow there's that practicality of
getting all the people finance,etc.

Speaker 2 (01:29:43):
Yeah, I mean there's a huge, huge opportunity of
getting all the people finance.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I meanthere's a huge, huge opportunity
.
When I think about it and thisactually has been there since
even me, when I graduated, Irealized people don't want
innovation by design.
Like innovation, it's perceivedlike it will cause people to

(01:30:04):
sleep angry.

Speaker 3 (01:30:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:30:05):
Because the people thrive on you know these
shortcuts yeah.
So there's so much, but I alsoam a believer of if the solution
is so good, we'll have moreresources, not like anyone will
sleep angry, but at leastthere'll be more opportunities.
We'll not be educating our kidsand saying there are no jobs,

(01:30:28):
because even entrepreneurshipactually has a limit, because
also you need to employ people.
So as much as you are runningaway from employment, even you
as an entrepreneur, if you wantto grow, you have to hire people
.
So we need to make thatenvironment so friendly that,
regardless if you're hired oryou're hiring, everyone gets
what they deserve.
If you bring value, get valueout of it, because the ecosystem

(01:30:52):
we are in right now is whereyou give value but you get less
value from that value.
So, kate, I know you have met somany ladies.
You have gone to school withsome of them, either in primary,
in high school, in university,and to some extent they are

(01:31:12):
discouraged or even they don'tlike engineering.
What is that one thing thatactually made you love
engineering and pursue it?
But of course, I know yourfather is part of that journey.

Speaker 3 (01:31:23):
Yeah, of course.
Actually, even one of thereasons that I started my TikTok
was to encourage other girls,Because I felt that there's a
way we perceive this part of thecareer of electrical software.
You know it's hard career ofelectrical software.
You know it's hard.

(01:31:43):
So my aim was also to inspirethe girls to join the tech world
.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:31:53):
So that was one of the main reasons.
Yeah, okay, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:32:02):
And what is that one thing that actually kept you
going?
I can say I was self-motivated,because there was something I
wanted, and I can say I did nothave an option.

Speaker 2 (01:32:12):
So it's not like you could do this and then, if it
fails, you do something else.

Speaker 3 (01:32:17):
Yeah, I think it's something I wanted to do and
it's something even when I gotinto campus, I knew I'm doing
this electrical and electronics.
Because of this, I finished it.
Even before getting a job.
I did a software engineering.
So, I was really intentional.

Speaker 2 (01:32:34):
And self-driven, yeah , so, even when you encountered
challenges, it was nothing, so,like I have, this has to work.

Speaker 3 (01:32:41):
This has to work because this is what I've been
doing, I've been preparing hasto work.
This has to work because thisis what I've been doing.

Speaker 2 (01:32:46):
I've been preparing myself to do yeah.
So, of course, Kate, you arevery beautiful.
How has been your dating life?
And given that you are close toKU, you've been to Juja.
You've been to Jquart.
Yeah, to Judah, you've been to.

Speaker 3 (01:33:03):
J-Quads.
So I can say when I was incampus my dating life was.
I can say it was non-existentBecause I was more focused on
education and business, but Idid party.
I think my they say there issomething that always kills a

(01:33:30):
man.

Speaker 2 (01:33:31):
A man has to die from something.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:33:34):
So if yours is not church or girls, mine was, I
think, the partying, but now Igot over it, the parting, but
now I got over it.
I was not into dating that muchbecause I felt like I don't
want to waste my time so much onthese situationships that I

(01:33:56):
know will not work.
And my dad was really clear.
He was telling me these things,you'll find them, and most
probably if you take so much ofyour time in it it will waste
you.
And what if you become pregnant?
There's that aspect.
Now I'm pregnant, I have totake care of the baby.

(01:34:17):
I've not finished school,everything.
The moment you become pregnantand get a child now, you stop
living your life.
Yes, you start living Everydecision that you make.
You must now think of the kid,and I felt like I did not want
to put myself in a situationwhere I have to choose not to

(01:34:39):
pursue something Because now Imade a wrong decision and got a
kid.
Of course, a kid is a blessing,but I did not want it to come
at the wrong time.

Speaker 2 (01:34:49):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:34:50):
So now that I'm done with school, it's when I'm even
thinking about dating Exploringthe dating.

Speaker 2 (01:34:55):
Oh nice, yeah.
No, I mean, is there someonewho has presented their
memoranda or their agenda?

Speaker 3 (01:35:04):
There are many people who have done that.
But again, I feel like thepartner that you choose to hang
around with because most of thetime that person is the person
you share most of your ideaswith is the biggest decision you
can make, especiallyfinancially, career-wise.

(01:35:26):
So I think I'm just taking mytime.

Speaker 2 (01:35:30):
Okay, very nice.
That's a wise word from a wiselady.
Yeah.
And, as they say in Africa, forthose who have ears may they
hear, For those who choose toignore, they'll pay the price.
Yeah, so what are your lastwords?
I don't know which.
I think it's this camera hereTo the ladies pursuing

(01:35:52):
engineering and just overall,like what would you share with
your even followers, your fans?
I'm your fan number one by theway.

Speaker 3 (01:36:01):
Yeah, thank you Okay number 7,001.

Speaker 2 (01:36:03):
But of course I like what you do.
So what is that message you'dshare as a parting shot?

Speaker 3 (01:36:10):
The message I will share is just try.
You may fail and most probablythe first time that you are
trying you'll fail.
But just try.
This field is not meant for men, it's not meant for only ladies
.
Just try and always be willingto learn like for me, I'm, I'm

(01:36:34):
doing.
Even though I'm doing thisbusiness thing, I'm also
learning.
I told you I completed a cloudcomputing course the other day
and I've also gotten ascholarship to do my master's.
So I'm always learning toupskill myself.
So always learn, always try newthings and just be open-minded.

(01:36:55):
The world is there to embraceyou.

Speaker 2 (01:37:01):
Very nice, very nice.
So, as you have made it ourhabit, we are always concluding
this podcast, you know, using anAfrican proverb, and we are
borrowing this from Spice FMwhere, and you know the other.

(01:37:24):
We are borrowing this fromSpice FM where, and you know the
other hosts.
I find it interesting for me.
So our proverb today talksabout education and it's very
popular.
And it says education.

(01:37:45):
And it's very popular.
And it says if you educate aman but this is debatable, by
the way if you educate a man,you educate an individual, but
if you educate a woman, youeducate a nation.
This is a well-known Africanproverb.
It's long been motivatingpeople around the world to

(01:38:05):
strive for education for all.
So the message here is and thiscan be proven at least through
kids that educating everyone isreally, really important.
And you know, of course, forobvious reasons, a woman
actually in Africa is considereda mother of community.

(01:38:28):
I don't know this is changingvery fast, but when I was
growing up, you could eatanywhere, could sleep anywhere,
and most of this was facilitatedby women.
So I believe that if youeducate a woman, you educate a
community.
So I believe that if youeducate a woman, you educate a

(01:38:49):
community.
So thank you so much, kate, forhonoring our invites, and one
of the things that I keepreminding our listeners is that
African stories need to be told,because how many kids are out
there that no one knows aboutthem and people still perceive
engineering as a man-dominatedfield.
It's still a man-dominated field, but if we have more kids

(01:39:13):
coming out and sharing how muchthey have done, of course you
have shared it with ease, likeyou know.
It's an easy thing.
I just, you know, did this, did, but of course I'm sure you
really also worked really hard,because engineering is not easy
for anyone.
Yeah, it's not easy, not easy,you know.
So it's quite interesting.
So if someone actually decidesto pursue, you know, that career

(01:39:36):
, at least they have care tolook up to and how she, you know
, dealt with all thesechallenges, the focus, the zeal
to be able to get there.
So we'll also invite you againand again as you're starting
your career.

(01:39:58):
I don't want to call it careerbecause career sounds like
you're employed your journey inbusiness and in software, where
it means hardware, because theworld, they used to say in 2001,
software is eating the world.
It's no longer eating the world, folks, it's already eaten,
because if you see what AI isdoing, machine learning, even

(01:40:22):
our TVs nowadays, our fridge,they've become computerized.
So there's a lot ofopportunities and Africans
actually can lead, and thereason why Africans are very
important in this story isbecause most of the solutions
that we've been consuming andstill consuming are not African,
are not built for Africans.
I even know that right nowthere's a new initiative to

(01:40:45):
build Android for Africa withAfrican in mind.
Can you?
imagine how many years down theline, over 10 years after
Android became a thing.
So there's so much, and just toencourage everyone who is
pursuing engineering in Africato keep at it, but until next
time.
This is Impact Masters Podcastin collaboration with Africa

(01:41:06):
Stalking, and Africa Stalking isa developer.
We provide you with developerAPIs in mobile data, ussd, sms,
voice and airtime, and also weare powering businesses across
Africa using our solutions toreach out to the last mile and
the end user of your solution.

(01:41:28):
So check out Africa Stalking ifyou want to build OTP marketing
messages, communicationmessages and integrating with
your software, as Kate hasindicated, is one of the things
that she does for clients atafricastalkingcom.
And until next time, thank youso much.

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#54 IMPACT MASTER CATHERLINE MIROBE: ELECTRICAL ENGINEER TO SOFTWARE ENGINEER

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