CAROLINE MUTHONI NJUKI, 30, works for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as the project manager in charge of regional political integration and human security. She spoke to NJOKI CHEGE about her inspirational journey to where she is today

Ten minutes before an interview, most interviewees are understandably nervous, especially if it’s their first time. But not so for one Caroline Njuki, whom I find peacefully reading the recently released biography of Uganda’s First Lady — Janet Museveni.

“I admire this woman. I have worked closely with her and she is such a humble person. She could have chosen to sit pretty, but she decided to work with the people, something I admire her for,” says Carol.

But Carol’s story does not start here, for never in her wildest dreams (or that of her father), would she have imagined that one day, she would be what or where she is now.

Carol grew up in Kutus, a small non-descript village in Kirinyaga district, and is the first born among three girls. Her parents were peasant farmers who practised subsistence farming that produced only enough for them to live from hand to mouth. 

Says Carol: “There and then, I realised that education was the only way out.”

Indeed, Carol topped her way through primary school, and eventually joined Ngirambu Girls Secondary School, but it was not as easy as she expected.

Finding self

“I remember the first term school fees was Sh16,000. There was no way my parents would afford that kind of money, add to that my personal effects such as mattress, metal box and uniform. It was difficult for my parents,” she says.

But through their unflinching determination, her parents were eventually able to raise the money. Interestingly, her mother had already started saving some money since she was in class six, and had already bought several personal effects in preparation for her daughter’s entry to high school.

High school life was not exactly a high life for Carol, who dreaded opening, visiting and closing days. 

“Because they reminded me of the reality of where I came from. Watching other students enjoy what my parents could not afford was not easy,” she notes.

All the same, Carol remained focused and earned her way to Kenyatta University where she pursued a Bachelors Degree in Education (History and Religious Studies). Carol notes that she thoroughly enjoyed campus, as it was in campus where she found herself, and knew what she wanted to do with her life.

Upon graduation in 2005, Carol went to teach at Karoti Girls High School, a job she found exciting, but rather unfulfilling.

“It was exciting, just talking to the girls, inspiring them and telling them that they held their futures in their hands. However, I wanted to do more with my life,” she says.

MENTORSHIP

Carol, through the encouragement of the then catholic chaplain of Kenyatta University Fr Lance Nadeau applied for the German (KAAD) scholarship, which is loosely translated as ‘Catholic Education Exchange Programme’. In January 2006, Carol learned at a cyber café in rural Kirinyaga that she had nailed a scholarship in Berlin, Germany.

For the next 18 months, Carol would successfully pursue a master’s degree in Conflict Management at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.

She was one of the 18 students from all over the world, and one of the only three black students.

“I stepped out of my conventional thinking and was taught to think critically. For the first time, I was able to enjoy knowledge,” she says.

After a couple of short-term jobs  (most of them voluntary) both at home and abroad during her stay in German, Carol joined the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2009. She worked for two years in Somalia as a project assistant responsible for capacity building in migration management.

“We dealt with border management issues including training and establishment of migration infrastructure for the Somali government,” she explains.

But Carol soon left IOM after it became clear that it was impossible for her to go beyond her position because of her age. At 28, she was considered too young to take bigger positions. She moved to IGAD in 2011 as the project manager in charge of regional political integration and human security in a program implemented in 21 countries of Eastern and Southern Africa, a move she considered a huge step in the right direction.

At the moment, she works on preventing and addressing threats to human security that would result in displacement of populations. This includes developing regional policies and programming on refugees, asylum seekers and the internally displaced as well as engaging the IGAD Diaspora for regional and national development.

“Initially, I was a little doubtful if I could make it. But it has been very exciting to work hand in hand with the African Union on continental policies by bringing them closer to our member states and the people of the region.

Among the joys of her work, Carol gets to globetrot on regional and international assignments as well as in her efforts to reach out to the Diaspora because they too have an active role to play in their native countries. All these, Carol not only find exciting, but deeply fulfilling as well.

Empowering self

Says she: “It’s been an exciting phase of my life. I mean, being able to work and actually see policies in their implementation stage is fulfilling,”

Being this young, Carol has to work twice as hard and remain focused to prove her worth. In her world, the only option is success.

“Everyday, I work hard to be accepted in the sense that there are many other older people who are more experienced than I am, hence the need to be focused and know my facts in public policy well. I’m constantly under personal pressure to be a notch higher and a step forward,” she says.

It is probably for this reason that Carol is constantly reading, to keep herself up to speed with her work. She is currently a PhD candidate pursuing a doctorate in political science (DPhil) at the Free University in Germany. Under the aegis of a renowned ex-German government justice minister, she is working on her Dissertation on The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the Humanitarian response in Somalia, which she looks forward to defend in 2013.

So what keeps her going?

“The fact that nobody can stop me, except myself. I realised that the moment you focus on your goal, the world starts warming up to you. When you keep pushing through challenges, you make other people realise that you have the capacity to deliver,” she says.

While Carol is not yet married for now, she believes there is still plenty of time and so much left to do, but hopes to start a family one day.

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