Imagine resigning from your job because you feel unfulfilled and too drained to want to go on. Then, after almost a year of being jobless and a failed business partnership later, an opportunity lands in your lap. An opportunity so grand that your life changes for the better in almost an instant! This is the story of chartered accountant Philip Wairera!
He was employed as junior staff in a company, which, in his words, he resigned from because he felt unfulfilled and stuck in a job rat race that was heading nowhere. His big idea was to leave employment and embark on entrepreneurship with a friend. But shortly after, Philip realized that the partnership was doomed for failure before it could take off.
The only choice he had to make was to move forward and learn from his mistake. This new resolve saw him ponder getting back into employment. And search for job opportunities—he did! But his efforts were not paying off as fast as he needed them to. Philip kept hunting for employment opportunities and almost gave up.
One fine day while scrolling through social media, Facebook to be specific, he came across an advertisement that changed his life—his only challenge—finances to facilitate the life-changing opportunity!
"Every wall is a door." Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Philip immediately signed up for a programme offered by the Work Experience and Mentorship Academy - a bold move on his part, especially since he could not raise the entire KES 15000 that was required by the organisation for the work experience training in the advertised cohort.
During the first few days of the programme, Philip would attend the classes and participate in the practical applications and activities that were structured in the training. However, after some time, when his funds had run out, he regrettably and quietly opted to skip classes. This attracted the attention of the director, Esther Muchiri, the organisation’s director, who noticed his absence and resorted to seeking him out in order to find out what became of the young man, who had a promising future ahead of him.
Philip revealed that he could no longer afford the course. After coming clean to the director, Philip was still given the opportunity to attend the classes and got invites to the various workplace trainings in the different government and policy making offices to prepare him for the future. He also left the meeting with a mentor!
In one of the sessions, Philip’s cohort was trained on digital skills for the future, a programme that saw the cohort of 15 graduates interact with personnel from Huawei and the ICT Authority Kenya, which was being held in Parklands, Nairobi. In another session, the team travelled to Mombasa for the Connected Summit 2017, an experience still etched in the minds of many a first-time traveller to Mombasa.
The Connected Summit brings together regional and worldwide leaders in the ICT industry, as well as policymakers, executives, financiers, and innovators. It fosters new ideas and collaborations that use technology to enhance Kenya's development goals. The summit was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy, as well as private sector stakeholders. Its goal was to create a platform for government and ICT sector collaboration, capacity building, and knowledge sharing, and Philip and his colleagues got to be a part of it!
"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it." George Halas
After the training that lasted for about 11 months, those who stuck it out and paid the price through diligence and patience finished the course and were rewarded for their hard work. The successful team got placements in various organisations that were in line with their academic qualifications. Those who were keen on entrepreneurship were also linked and supported with the right tools to help them thrive in their businesses.
In August of 2017, Philip a chartered account and member of ICPAK got connected and contracted as a support staff member for AZA Finance, a fintech organisation that provides a full range of Treasury, FX, and Payments services for pan-African and international enterprises.
While in employment, he kept and still does keep in touch with his mentor, Esther, who assumes the hand holder, destiny helper, and mentor roles over him. Philip decided to further his education by signing up and went on to complete a degree in commerce with a specialisation in finance at KCA University. And through hard work, diligence, and application of the lessons received from the WEMA programme, Philip rose through the ranks at his place of work with AZA Finance.
In March of 2021, a head hunter came calling, and Philip was contracted to yet another company FinTech Company. But shortly after, in September 2022, AZA Finance made an offer to Philip, and he went back to his former employer, by which time he was promoted to the role of a financial controller in the organisation.
"Every kid needs a mentor. Everybody needs a mentor." Donovan Bailey
“My mentor is a blessing to me. She came through and lifted me when I was at the lowest point in my life. She also guided and continues to do so in my career,” he says of his mentor. Philip openly advocates for mentorship, especially for today's youth who are done with high school and are about to transition to college. The chartered accountant believes that a mentor is the right ingredient to steer the youth down the right path in life.
He also advocates for career mentorship, which he believes serves as a compliment to the theory that some educational institutions provide to today’s youth. “I tried my hand at entrepreneurship and employment and failed. Yet this was right after college. I signed up for the work experience programme with WEMA because I fell short of so many critical skills, knowledge, networks, and ideas that would lead me into career success prosperity.”
He adds, “I would advise graduates to sign up for the WEMA programmes because they will gain firsthand work, consultancy or entrepreneurship experience that they would never learn in class!” Get in touch with Philip Wairera for financial management services.