If you had asked me right after graduation what I’d be doing today, I would have confidently said I’d be working in a cooperative, or better yet, at Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen). I had completed my attachment there, experienced amazing working conditions, and even got mistaken for an employee once when I coordinated the onboarding of new ICT staff. Nervous as I was, I pulled it off, and that moment cemented my vision of a corporate career.

So how did I end up here, as a CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer?

It all started when I came across an advert on a WhatsApp group. It was the first time I had seen the name CorpsAfrica. I had always admired community work, but I imagined it as something I’d do on the side while working in an office. Yet, as I read more about the CorpsAfrica model, empowering communities to identify and solve their own challenges with local resources, something clicked- this wasn’t just volunteering; it was sustainable change. I applied immediately.

Days passed, and one day, a message popped up – an invitation for an interview. I was both nervous and excited. Interviews are never easy, even for someone in HR. Meeting Madam, my interviewer, Madam Caroline Murea, was such a refreshing moment. She was warm, kind, and made me feel comfortable. That moment deepened my desire to experience CorpsAfrica.

Later, I learned that over 2,000 people had applied. With such stiff competition, I kept my expectations low. So, when the acceptance finally came, an invitation for six weeks of training, I was over the moon. Still, I knew I had some adjusting to do. The packing list made me laugh at myself: I had more heels than flats, and manicures had to be minimalistic. This wasn’t the office life I had envisioned; it was going to be something new, raw, and real.

Coming from Western Kenya, I had never stayed in Nakuru, so the idea of six weeks there was both exciting and intimidating. We spent two weeks at St. Mary’s, immersed in training that was not only informative but also engaging, transformative, and fun. Then came Community-Based Training (CBT), which involved living with host families in rural communities for two weeks.

I was placed in Sumeek village. It rained the day we arrived, and though I felt anxious being separated from my training group, my host family welcomed me with so much warmth. I quickly became the “firstborn” in my new CBT family, with siblings Chebet, Chelagat, Kimutai, and Scholastica (my fellow volunteer). My “CBT mum,” as I fondly saved her in my contacts, made me feel at home instantly.