Life is what you make it

By MAUREEN ODIWUOR

PAMELA OTAJA, 35, is the country manager of Carbon Zero Kenya Ltd, an NGO that supplies energy-saving stoves to the marginalised. She had to overcome many challenges to get where she. She shares her story with MAUREEN ODIWUOR

Pamela grew up feeling rejected and lived a childhood full of bitterness.Everything, however, changed when she got saved. The feeling of bitterness died and she decided to prove herself by going against people’s beliefs concerning her capabilities.

“Deep down, I always feel a force pushing me to go against odds even when things are tough and with God’s grace, I always confront the tough situations,” she says.

Her career was pioneered during one of the most difficult moments in her life after her mother passed on in the year 2000. Pamela, a second born in her family, became the breadwinner and dropped out of Kisumu Polytechnic where she had just completed her CPA 1 examination.

“I opted to sacrifice my education to provide for my family and let my eldest sister complete college,” she says.

Resilience

She became the first woman to work in a security firm, KK Security, in Kisumu whose client then, Kenya Breweries Ltd, had requested for a female guard.

“I felt lucky to have got the opportunity. I desperately needed to, at least, shoulder some of my struggling family’s expenses,” says Pamela.

Pamela’s security job was short-lived as she started experiencing challenges from clients and colleagues.

“The job was challenging, with men saying I was competing with them. Others ridiculed and insulted me, but I pushed on,” she said.

Her perseverance lasted for three years before a disagreement with an operations manager got her fired in 2003.

She had saved some money and decided to pursue a driving course not knowing where next to go or what to do.

“I was ready even for a driving job, but before I could figure out my next step , I got a job with an insurance company,” she says.

She was employed as an agent with Pan African Insurance Company and despite things looking difficult at first, she was determined and managed to get great commissions.

She worked until 2006 when, due to complications after conceiving her second son, a doctor advised her to take a bed rest until after delivery.

“In 2007, I tried going back to my job, but could no longer cope. I struggled and opted to search for another job,” she says.

In her pursuit for greener pastures, she temporarily relieved a woman who had gone for maternity leave at Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (KMET). She was later absorbed as a permanent employee.

“I worked at KMET as an administrative assistant for four years,” Pamela says.

However, since she had no college training, she witnessed her colleagues being promoted while she remained at the same position. She felt challenged and decided to go back to school since she could now afford her school fees after educating her siblings.

“I studied Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance option at Maseno University from 2008 and graduated last year,” she says.

As fate would have it, during one of her exam leaves, she landed her current job, where she multi-tasked as an administrations assistant, volunteer coordinator, procurement officer and receptionist.

Top position

Five months into her new job, she was promoted to the position of coordinator at Carbon Zero, Kisumu branch. The company supplies energy-saving stoves to the marginalised in Kenya as an avenue of contributing positively to the reduction global warming.

“This was also not smooth, but what I had gone through had hardened me and served as an exposure and preparation for such times,” she says.

However, her newfound source of delight vanished as fast as it came. She received mail asking her to sell all the company had in Kisumu and this broke her heart.

“I sold most of the items and couriered some to Nairobi, not knowing where to head next,” says Pamela.

It was a week after losing the job when she received a call notifying her that she was selected to head the top position in Kenya — to be a country coordinator.

Pamela’s work involves conducting audits in the sites the projects are conducted and ensure they are properly managed. The organisation develops Gold Standard energy efficient stove projects throughout Kenya, which are designed to reduce carbon emissions and improve the lives of householders.

“We provide funding and training materials to enable micro-businesses convert kerosene lanterns to solar energy lanterns, which not only protect the environment and save energy, but also produce more light,” says Pamela.

She works with people in the rural set ups where she helps them replace traditional firewood with biogas burners. The gas is generated from treatment of manure from goats and cattle, which also generates fertilisers for use in farms. Seeing people’s lives change through her projects gives her a lot of satisfaction.

Pamela believes she has no room for failure in her life.