Ordinary women, success stories

Success is defined differently by different people. From business motivational speakers to motivational books to seminars run by ‘go-somewhere-people’, we are bombarded with all sorts of success hacks; and we are inundated with the do’s and don’ts of success.

And yet, most of them tend to be idealistic and detached from real life.

In reality, as the following successful women will show you, success is as varied as the number of people who’ve lived it.

From a bariatric surgeon whose passion and dedication have carried her through more than three decades in her profession, to a Rotarian who believes in service to humanity, to a resort manager, to the founder of a fitness centre, to a young social activist, these women’s stories are a true inspiration and a practical guide for people who want to do something special with their lives.

Lyudmilla Shchukina, CEO and Co-founder of Nairobi Bariatric Center

I have been running my medical clinic in Kenya for 30 years, with an office in the 5th Avenue Office Suites.

My role as a weight loss expert is to find unique solutions to my clients’ health challenges. This includes building a new and healthy relationship with food and providing people with tools (either non-surgical or surgical) to help them lose weight. I address the mind, body and spirit to help people lose weight and, most importantly, keep it off.

My definition of success is when someone comes to us and ends up at their ideal weight. In essence, success is when we manage to change someone’s life and give them many more years of quality life without obesity.

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That’s the most fulfilling thing for me. It’s almost magical. My ambition for my company is to continue to provide the highest quality of care and treatment to everyone who comes through our doors. If people value what we do and we are the best at it, then we will continue to grow and impact their lives.

My principles are dedication and passion. I started working with weight loss in Africa almost 30 years ago. It was really looked down upon at the time, but I saw the obesity epidemic creeping up on societies year after year, and we continued to work in the obesity field despite some really strong pushback.

We are pioneers in the treatment of obesity in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. It has been amazing to see how more and more people are waking up to the dangers of obesity, and I can see that my dedication to my passion and profession of keeping people healthy is paying off.

Our work is being recognised globally as particularly important in this new age of global obesity.

My advice to women starting out in business is to surround yourself with good mentors. It’s OK not to have all the answers; look for people who can give you good advice and then follow your passion.

Do what you’re best at and be patient. Keep striving to be the best at what you do, do something useful for people and it will pay off. There will be many obstacles, many people will tell you that you cannot possibly do it, but keep moving forward, keep holding on to your passion, keep believing in yourself, and eventually, slowly, you will succeed.

Caroline Kagendo, Manager Jannat House Lamu, 35

When I first joined Jannat House as an employee, I was just a junior office girl doing junior office errands. Twelve years later, I’m not only the manager of the resort, but also one of the directors. I also own some shares in the property. I am also a mother of two - a boy and a girl.

My daily routine as a manager includes immediate tasks such as the day-to-day running of the property, i.e. making immediate decisions, securing customers, dealing with enquiries and generally making sure that we offer the best comfort to our guests.

To get to where we are as a hotel, and even in my personal life, I have had to adapt through different periods, some of which, like Covid, have affected both the business and my personal life.

I believe that flexibility and the ability to adapt to different situations are very important for people in the hospitality industry because trends in the industry change so quickly. This is something that other business people can also learn.

For instance, during Covid we did not want to lay off our staff because most of them depend on the salary they get here, and yet the bookings were low. So I came up with the idea of working in bimonthly shifts.

I also made my staff go on savings courses to learn how to manage what they were getting. I also went back to school and took other courses online, such as accounting, in addition to my business degree.

Personally, I believe that for a business to be successful, the whole team must be involved in the effort. Recently, some of our team members have completed culinary and bar-related courses, which they have attended to improve their skills in the areas they already handle here.

Gaye D’costa, Businesswoman and president Rotary Club of Watamu

I wear many hats - less than a month ago, I was installed as president of the Rotary Club of Watamu. I am also a businesswoman and a member of the East Africa Women League.

I have lived in Watamu for a year and a half, having moved from Nairobi with my businesses, including a supermarket. I am also a mother of two girls who are the reason for everything I do.

This year, the Rotary Club of Watamu is celebrating 100 years of community service in Africa. Rotary is service above self. I have been a Rotarian for over 15 years and I personally feel that we all want to give back to society, but we have to find the right way. For me, Rotary has been that avenue.

We do a lot of community projects. Rotary projects also work in schools, in the environment, and in many other areas of society. For example, we recently installed computer labs at Watamu Primary School.

Watamu is unique in that the community is marginalised. There’s a lot of low-income people and then there’s the retired community. My passion for this year will be a skills training centre focusing on tailoring, carpentry, baking and hospitality for young people so that they have the skills to either set up their own businesses or get jobs in hotels.

I believe in inclusivity. One of the things I try to teach the young people here is that it is okay to have opportunities and to want the good things in life. Rotary tries to bridge the gap between those who are financially able and those who are not.

Rotary’s community service is designed to help the government, not to do the things that the government should be doing. We all understand that governments can’t do everything, and that’s where we come in.

But they have to do their job first, so we can come in and do the rest. Of course, this is not always the case. As a Rotarian, I always tell myself to do it for the child.

I believe that the difference between how rich or poor we are is our attitude. You may find someone here who has five acres of land but has done nothing with it and considers himself poor, while someone else without land is making a living and living a more comfortable lifestyle.

This year’s theme is “The Magic of Rotary,” which to me means bridging gaps through giving. And that’s my mission in life - to help those who don’t have the means.

Akinyi Onyach, ‘Nile Dawta’, Founder of Project Black Woman

I’m a passionate gender activist and a pioneering artist in the Neo-Reggae movement in East Africa. I hold a Master of Arts in Women, Leadership and Governance in Africa.

I’ve been honoured with awards such as the UN Human Rights Art Competition (2023) and the Brazilian Young Talent Africa Music Awards (2023), and my musical journeys have taken me across East Africa and beyond. Most recently, I celebrated a win at the Rema Showcase in Burkina Faso and was recognised as the Best Human Rights Musician at the 75th UN Human Rights Celebrations in Nairobi.

I’ve always been deeply committed to the power of gender and the arts to create better societies. My belief that “women are the guardians of every culture, and if you want to change the world, start with women” guides everything I do, both in my music and in my advocacy.

This belief is at the heart of Project Black Woman, an initiative inspired by one of my songs, “Black Woman”, which celebrates the resilience and self-worth of African women. The project aims to restore the dignity of female prisoners in Kenya through education, awareness and the provision of dignity kits. These include sanitary towels, panties, tissue paper and soap.

My definition of success comes from a very introspective and holistic point of view, for me, it is about being in harmony with ‘the Self’ at every Ascension and I will quote my driving mantra: “In my quest for healing and growth I once sought change externally, believing that to change the world I had to look beyond myself. However, a profound realisation has come to me - true change and success begin within.

My greatest joy comes from being able to inspire social change through artistic expression, particularly through advocacy for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Success for me is having a meaningful impact on marginalised communities, such as women prisoners in Kenya. Essentially, success for me is measured by the positive change and empowerment I can create for myself, and to connect with individuals and communities through my work.

My mother is my daily inspiration and role model. Watching her come from nothing and build so much, not only for herself but for her children and family, is a testament to her strength.

My advice to women who want to start something is to just start. It’s never too late and you don’t know until you know. Everything will fall into place once you align yourself with what is in your heart. And more women are natural creators.

Jemima Wairimu, 28, Founder Gym Rocks Fitness, Kasarani

I opened Gym Rocks in mid 2020. It was both a financial decision, as I had just left my job at the time, and a personal interest in fitness. In the early days, I faced challenges like any other business - unstable gym membership subscriptions that affected our books, but I kept going.

In four years we have achieved a lot: we have managed to take Gym Rocks to a higher level of fitness, we have great quality equipment and the trainers are mostly professional.

Personally, I would say that I have been consistent with my fitness journey and my lifestyle and confidence in myself have changed massively. I also had my daughter during this time.

There’s a popular quote we like to use in the gym: ‘Get fit, don’t quit’. It can be taken literally in the context of physical fitness, but it is also something I have embraced in life. I don’t quit easily; I like to push my limits.

As well as the usual more mainstream gym programmes, we have introduced dance and boxing as part of our programme.

Some of our members have also taken part in fitness competitions and won prizes, but what I’m most proud of is that we’ve created a family of sorts with our members, celebrating and encouraging each other’s progress.

Success for me is being able to build and enjoy all aspects of my life equally and being able to balance them all: family, Gym Rocks, love and motherhood and spirituality. In business, I have learnt that it is more effective to build trust and a good relationship with people. I think that is one of the things that has made Gym Rocks what it is today.