oday, we will spotlight one of our accomplished university alumni, Renay Saenik. Renay joined The Humanity Share program as a secondary student in 2015 while in form 2 (10th grade) at St. Anne’s Muthale Girls. After completing high school, she joined Muranga University of Technology to pursue a BSc in Mathematics & Computer Science. Renay graduated in 2022 and is currently working with Comform Foam Investment Ltd. as an IT specialist. In a short interview, Renay shared more of her story and experiences as a scholar and now alumnus of The Humanity Share education program.
What has your time and experience post-graduation looked like?
After graduating from university in 2022, I started working with various NGOs on short contracts. I worked for Kenya Red Cross as a community health facilitator and then with Gentrust as a gender-based violence champion & project assistant. I got these opportunities while at a peer volunteer training in university. The idea of this training was to equip students and young adults to give back to the community. From there, I was referred to various NGO's and got contracts with them.
I am passionate about gender-based violence because it is an issue in my Maasai community and addressing the issues of gender inequality and violence is a way to give back to my community. To bring about this advocacy, we did mentorship in schools, started a children's rights club, and would refer people to the proper mechanisms of dealing with gender-based violence. My key goal was to have men at the forefront of these gender-based violence conversations. I would hold football tournaments that would be a means to bring men together and raise champions. I found that it is very important for the men to be leading these conversations for change to happen. Through a Red Cross program called ‘Sasa’, we were trained on how to handle sensitive abuse cases. In Kajiado, the referral hospital had a gender-based violence center where the critical cases were sent and we in turn would focus on the psychosocial part. For abuse cases, they would talk with victims and help them know how to navigate their environment when they return home. These experiences are ones that I am so grateful for because they allowed me to work in areas I am passionate about and also give back to my community.
What are some of your favorite memories from university?
The leadership roles I was able to have! In my particular area of study, we were 80 students in total and only 7 girls were in that class. During my first year, I was picked out almost immediately to be a class representative and from that point, I found myself in a position of leadership. One of my prayers was that each of us would finish the degree we were taking which was a rare occurrence for students to go through the four years without dropping out. I was determined to make sure that no one stopped halfway, even for girls that would get pregnant, I would always encourage them to come back to school and not defer. In the end, we all finished successfully without anyone dropping out which was a huge accomplishment. Another favorite part of university was staying with people from different tribes and learning from them! My last favorite memory was all the birthday parties we had with friends. It was always so much fun.
What does your current work role look like now?
I am based in the IT department of the organization which means I am in charge of managing their systems, connectivity & networking, creating websites, and going about social media engagements. Working at Comform is allowing me to use the skills I gained through my undergraduate degree. Many people didn’t understand why I went into community programs after graduation with a degree in mathematics and computer science. For me, it was a way to explore something different before entering my studied field. Although it has been an adjustment trying to remember how to apply the skills I learned while in school, I am enjoying the work I get to do.
How has receiving an education helped your life and family?
It has helped me become the career woman I am now, enabling me to try new things and business ventures. I have also learned how to stay with people from different backgrounds because it has given me an open-mindedness and curiosity about life. I am also able to contribute to my family’s needs, especially as a firstborn in the home.
What is one piece of advice you would give to yourself in university?
I would have told my younger self - “You don’t have to know everything!” I think I have learned a lot from my field of study. Taking computer science shows you that there are many systems you have to know, but sometimes you can only focus on one. You are always growing and if you are good at something, just do it well and let everything else flow in its own time.
