Nairobi News

ChillaxLifeMust Read

5 special types of Kenyan women we celebrate this International Women’s Day


The International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 to recognize the achievements of women in various industries including arts, music, corporate, politics and culture among others.

The theme colour often associated with this celebration is purple which denotes power and confidence.

Nairobi News especially celebrates five types of women who make us reduce stress for us, whether knowingly or unknowingly, in our every day lives.

The world can afford to breathe a little bit easier because of the time and effort they put in to make the society a good place to exist in.

1. Mama Kibanda

These women save homes without even knowing about it. In their efforts to eke out a living and provide for their families, these superheroes are saving bachelors from starvation, making it easier for the working woman with no time to cook to feed her husband and children; and save pedestrians who come across their kiosks for the quick meal, fruit or essential grocery without having to go far from their homes or workplaces.

These women will have vegetables cut, fish fried, potatoes peeled and packed in polythene bags filled with water, boiled cereals and chapati cooked, ready for purchase by a customer who has no time to meal prep and cook in their own home due to time constraints.

That they open their kiosks close to customers’ homes is another reason to celebrate them, making the late night run to get some food or grocery easier as opposed to sleeping hungry on snacks and tea. Not all superheroes wear caps, right?

Right alongside Mama Kibanda, we give a special mention to Mama Fua for keeping our clothes and homes clean when we can’t afford the energy to wash our own clothes or save money to buy washing machines.

2. Women holding down one parent homes

Single mother or single father is a phrase that no longer flies. You are a one parent home. Your relationship status does not define what kind of a parent you are. And so, we celebrate the women holding down the one-parent homes, taking care of all their children’s needs without having to play economic victim due to their relationship status.

We celebrate women who work hard, work smart and still make time to spend quality time with their children – whether it is doing their CBC homework with them or going out for an evening walk with them despite being tired to the bone.

You come out of a busy day hustling and don your mum cap to make sure your kids are smiling. You work smart to make sure they do not lack or feel inferior to children with both parents in the picture but most of all, you are strong and courageous enough to take on the one-parent home journey you found yourself in even though it was never in your books.

3. Teachers

Someone once told me that teaching is a noble profession because teachers leave their kids in other people’s hands to educate others’ children. Teachers equip students to become the best versions of themselves academically, extra curricular and holistically. They do this for their students despite wishing that they could teach their own children.

On this day, we celebrate female teachers with children in different classes but dedicate themselves to ensuring our children succeed in life. Yours is a blessed profession and we pray that your children reap the blessings coming your way for being second ‘parents’ to students.

4. Nannies

Nannies are mostly women, and their existence is also one of the reasons why many homes keep running come rain or sunshine. These women, some with kids, leave their families behind to take care of other homes. They make sure our children are bathed, fed and safe in the absence of parents; and they also secure homes from prying and thieving hands.

They are assistant ‘nurses’ in the home when the kids are sick, they are chefs who can make mean chapatis, they are that ‘crutch’ parents can lean on when they need some alone time together away from the kids and they are assistant ‘administrators’ in the home.

Despite the hot and cold relationship many have with their employers, their presence in our lives to a great measure contributes to parents’ sanity and peace of mind when the household becomes overwhelming.

5. Industry pacesetters

Kenya’s workforce is dominated by men, and when women break the glass ceilings, it is cause for celebration. Often celebrated are women who make moves in the corporate world but at Nairobi News, we especially celebrate women who master themselves and conquer working in fields often reserved for men.

These fields include construction work, long-haul truck driving, auto garages, pushing/pulling handcarts, camera operations in television production, crane and tractor operations among others.

We celebrate all these women for the strides they make in bettering their lives and impacting the society around them; setting examples that there is no place that women’s presence cannot be felt or not needed. We work just as hard as men, if not twice the effort to achieve perfection.