MY MENTOR- corrected piece

Anne Mutungi walks into the wooden front door of our family friend’s home all made up and ready to mingle with her friends. She is 5’4 tall, dressed in a tie and dye batik dress and hair neatly plaited backwards. She bears a smile on her face. All her friends are happy to see her and they exchange pleasantries. Soon after, the ladies more to a corner after serving food and they are locked in a conversation while enjoying their food. From their faces it is evident that they have a lot of catching up to do. There is a lot on the menu: chapati, rice, beef stew, chicken, vegetable salad as well as fruit salad and soda. The guests are not only enjoying the food but also the beautiful music from a CD by Oliver Mtukudzi. After thirty minutes, the host calls on us to introduce ourselves and get to know one another. As people mingle, I get to talk to Anne and she tells me more about herself. That beautiful get together was five years ago. Back then, I never knew that she would one day become someone I look up to. She seemed just like an ordinary lady but after meeting her on several other occasions, she has become a lady of great impact in my life. Anne grew up in Kitui District where she attended Nzeve Primary School and later Mutonguni Girls School. Her parents struggled to keep her in school but somehow through the generosity of family and friends, she managed to finish school. She then moved to Nairobi to do a secretarial course. It wasn’t long before love interrupted her studies and she married James Mutungi, a banker working in Nairobi with whom they have three lovely children Mark, Rose and Trina. She abandoned her studies to take care of her family but went back to school after two years to complete her secretarial course. After finishing her secretarial course she got frustrated as she did not get a job. All along she thought that it would be smooth sailing after school but it was not so. Her situation was worsened by the fact that all her friends seemed to be getting jobs and good paying ones for that matter. Her husband encouraged her not to despair and with his help she started a small business of selling ‘mandazi.’ She managed to save the little money she got from the business and with the help of money she had gotten from her ‘chama,’ she grew herself. She has risen to become an influential lady in society with a bakery within the central business district and a road construction company dealing with the construction of rural roads. On weekends she spares time from her busy schedule to mentor young girls who are either in college or have finished school and are ready for employment. Through her mentorship programme she gives financial tips and encouragement to the young ladies some of whom have risen to become well known personalities in Kenya. What strikes me most about her is the fact that she rose from ‘mama mandazi’ to become a successful entrepreneur. From her I have learnt that nothing is impossible.