 Welcome back. My name is Ramaguko. It is a pleasure being with you. If at all you're just joining us, this is why in the morning, and of course this is WCW woman crush Wednesday it is, on this fine Wednesday morning we are about to have a conversation, the strength of a woman. To find out what is it that women are doing to break that glass ceiling, to be women at the forefront, to be people who can be able to take the women agenda to the next level empowering others and of course finding out more and more that we can do to empower our women. We are coming to you live from the broadcasting house here in Nairobi, Kenya. We are streaming live through our website. That's www.kabc.co.ke4-y254. Engage with us. We value your feedback in regards to this particular conversation. Let us know where you're watching us from. And of course today to help us in this particular conversation women at the forefront. Ladies and gentlemen, I am with Vivian Owino. She is the co-founder of a non-governmental organization established to support and empower the less privileged women with hands-on skill such as mobile and laptop repairs among others as of course she has talked about this in so many media platforms. She is the co-founder of Frankies Foundation specifically an award winner of the entrepreneurship world cup Kenya national competition of 2021. And of course a social founder of the year award by the 2C foundation of India. And of course she is on joining me this morning because of Vivian. Asante. Are you well? Yes I'm good. I'm quite CV. I feel like I've become a ladies and gentlemen the president. How are you doing? I'm doing fine. Yes. Thank you so much for coming Vivian. It's a pleasure. Pleasure is all mine. Thank you for inviting me. I want us to tell you, you tell us more about what you do but let's start from Frankies Foundation. What is Frankies Foundation all about? Okay. As you've read Frankies Foundation is a non-governmental organization that was found in 2019. Yes. I'm the co-founder of Frankies Foundation and the main aim of starting up Frankies Foundation it's a youth led organization. The founder Frankly Nojambu is a youth. I'm also a youth. So the motivation of starting Frankies Foundation I can say it's from our backgrounds. We are both from very humble backgrounds. I grew up in Kayole. He grew up in Madari. So me growing up in that background and life itself was a struggle. And I'm standing in for the youth and women. So I'm facing both challenges at the same time. So our main problem in this country is unemployment. And not so many of the women or rather I say the youths are privileged enough to even go to high school. So we have a larger majority that is dropping out even as early as class 6 and 7 and 8. So this is the group that is sidelined. And the women are more vulnerable because so many things we get caught up with so many things along the way as we grow up. Men trying to take advantage and to see more women getting into prostitution because they don't have something to do. So probably somebody dropped out of school. And when I was living there, I had no job. Or I got pregnant and my baby dad is not there. So me thinking of Frankies Foundation I was coming up with something that anybody can do. Whether you went to school or not, this is skill development. So it's like an institution of its own? Yes, it's like an institution of its own. And within the institution this learning that takes place. What are those things that somebody can be able to train themselves when they are at Frankies Foundation? So at Frankies Foundation at the moment we are concentrating on hardware repairs. That is in ICT hardware repairs. Repairs of laptop and mobile phone. That is what we are training them. And that is your background? You have a background in ICT? Yes, I have a background in ICT. Professionally I am a computer engineer. Wow, wow. I feel empowered already. Computer engineer. When I grow up I want to be like you. I want to touch on the motivation behind Frankies Foundation a bit further. So how did you and Franklin come together and say because you come from growing up in Kayole. He grew up in Madare. Now these are two different people. Yes, both coming from humble backgrounds. How did these two individuals manage to come together and bring this vision to life? How we managed to come together? Okay, first we were still really good friends. And back then Franklin was my technician. So he used to repair my friend's phone, my sister's phone. Now you are in ICT? Yes. So we kind of blend in that way. And I was like, I'm interested. First I can say he was my motivation. Because I could see what anafanya, anabomo, asimu, laptops. And this was so interesting to me. So I said this is what I want to do. You loved tech? Yes, I loved tech. I was like this is what I want to do. And back then there were no women in software, yes. But hardware not so many. Not that much. Yes. Actually it was considered to be more of a manly thing. Yes, more of a manly thing than a woman's job. Yes. But now with me I love being in environment where men are not in a bad way. Yeah, that's kind of true. So I always find myself like I'm the only woman in a group of men and I don't know. I don't know how that happened but it's just kind of my thing because I just love it. Wow. And I would like you to talk about that particular aspect of the perception of the society. How is it for you going to do this kind of business or a job? I don't know if those are the right analogies that I would like to call. You can correct me on that if I'm wrong. Getting into this particular area, a place where many believe ought to be a manly thing. It must have come with some stereotypes. People say you know what, what are you doing? You won't go too far with it because you are a woman. Of course I faced that a lot. I mean men could ask me you're beautiful. I mean why don't you look for something else to do? You know to me I was feeling like apia ni kazi. I really get good cash out of this but yes you won't go far because you're a woman. I faced that but I was able to overlook it myself. I knew what I wanted and in my heart I had passion for it. You see when you have passion for something it's different when you're just doing it for money. So for me it was passion. I was being driven by passion. I cared less whether you said you're just a woman or what. Personally I believe Kenya is ready for change. Women can do more than just sitting in receptions and welcoming guests. We believe women should be receptionists. I don't know if there is some truth in it. Even when it comes to certain jobs. What are your thoughts on the kind of skillset that the society believes a woman ought to have and a man ought to have? There's been a huge debate on that. You see we in the 21st century and we're seeing women evolving. And somebody was telling me yesterday they are now one kujakutu kanya gili asasa. Especially this coming election. Yes especially this coming election. You see with Mata up there even young women like us we feel like we now have that voice. And there's this type of courage that just comes in and we now can overlook the stereotype people that we've been. I mean all those years we've been feeling that you can't do this even if you're doing it then you feel like you're in a month's zone and you kind of outifanya na with all that courage. But it's high time Kenya is ready for change. I feel like Kenya is ready for women leadership. One thing that I love about you Vivian is that you are not just talking, you're also doing. You're saying Kenyans are ready for change, new leadership. And you're vying for position in this coming elections. Yes. Tell us about that. Yes I'm vying for an MCA position in Starrere constituency in Nairobi Central Ward. So for me empowerment has been my drive. Even me wanting to, even me vying right now it's still driven by what I'm doing. Empowerment. Because I feel for a very long time Kenyans have been brainwashed with handouts and everything. Somebody comes to you or Amwishimua comes to you. But you see now what we always don't look at, we don't look at the background. What has she or he done that can prove to me that this person is capable of leading a society. You see leadership is calling and you must have the heart to lead. Exactly. And the heart is in you. The heart is in me running an organization for four years. It's not a joke. Because running Frankies Foundation I can tell you it's like in our country the youths we still don't have that courage. Or I can say the older generation still doesn't believe in the youth. Because somebody will come to Frankies Foundation and say I want to see the manager. Or I want to see the person in charge. Only for them to see. Then I will be called and this person will say no, no, no, not you. The manager. Yes, I want to see. Then I'm like it's me. I am the manager. Okay if you can't see me let me call you somebody else. I call Frank then they are like who is leading this organization. It's just us. So we feel like okay why don't you feel like youths can be good leaders. I mean there are quite a number of us out here if only being given chance. If only somebody can believe in us. And me vying is because I want to show another woman out there. It is possible. It is possible. Yes. Regardless of the challenges. Because even when it comes to vying the challenges that comes with vying for political especially as a woman in this time. Yes. And I have heard of this. I don't know how you experience has been when it comes to the stereotypes about women in leadership. Some say you know what you have to be married. How can you lead us when you are not married? And they say you don't have a family. You don't have a husband. You cannot be in this kind of position. How has it been for you? Have you received such kind of accusations? Yes I've received so many kinds of accusations. Actually this time when I was vying I even knew of husbands that I don't know of. You made up a husband. You look for one for higher. Yes. Somebody say this is husband. Ok. Akonahuyu. And you see that's politics. And the sad thing is men are the ones who are struggling to strip you down. You see. And I feel like you see when you see a young person coming up. The older generation or the older men or women are supposed to be like guiding us through. This is what you're supposed to do. People say politics is a dirty game. I say politics is not dirty but there are dirty people in politics. You see. These are the people that we need to do away with. I have been shamed of being beautiful. What do they say? Can somebody find anything wrong? Ok. We want hardworking people. So you are like ok. This is what I want but it's an added advantage to me. You see. I'm not just beautiful but I'm beautiful with brains. Actually I bring something to the table. I've done something for 4 years. Have you done anything with your age? I'm only 26 years old. And I can say I've done a lot. I have touched so many hearts. And I have helped so many parents out there. And so many women that can attest to say I went through Frankis Foundation. Somebody believed in me I was given a chance. And now I can do something because somebody believed that I could do it despite of my education. Whether I went to school or not, that one to me doesn't matter. Because I believe in what you can do. Not what your papers say you can do. It's not about the outlook. It's not about the papers. It's not about you having gone to a particular institution. It's about the things you can deliver on the ground. Yes, it's about the things you can deliver. I love the fact that you are not giving up. People have said what they have said. People have done what they can do. But you keep on pushing on. I would like to start from the beginning. How has it been growing up? And you gathering all this energy and aura around you. And being this strong woman that wants to defy all these odds. How has it been growing up and getting all these attributes for you? Is it like you have a support system behind? What is it that moves it like that? Something that moves me is my mum. Because for me growing up wasn't easy. As I've told you, I grew up in the slums of Kayole. And we were four kids. And I can say my big brother has always acted like my father. I never grew up with my father under the same roof. That was so unfortunate. But it just happened. Yes, it just happened. And my big brother Stevenocheng, I love him so much. He took care of all of us because my mum is disabled. So you can imagine growing up four people. You have a disabled mum who is trying to take care of everyone in the house. And now I have my big brother who at some point dropped out of school so that he can go work and feed us and make sure that our house is paid, make sure that mum is okay. So I could see the strength in my mum. Even despite of her condition, he could still be strong. And my mother is one person who is very open and would always talk to us and tell us this is how things are. So kichaza na maishaya ko, just know you will end up at a bad place and she always told us that I don't want people to grow up the way I grow up. I want you to make your life better. So to me, even going to school, I've always had my family at the back of my mind. I want to do something to change this. And also I also have a very strong sister who Niki Mwangali and I feel like, you know what I can do this. You're the youngest? No, I'm the second last. Our youngest just finished fomfo. So to me, my sister, my mum, my brother, this has always been my motivation and they are the people who make me strong. They are also my strong support system. Without them, I don't think I can be where I am today because they always support me and they believe in me. You have people who you look up to in the family and there are people who look up to you in the same family? Yes. So they believe in me. That's why I'm strong and I'm not afraid of doing anything. I always ask myself, what is the worst thing that can happen when I want to do something? Then you try and evaluate what is the worst thing that can happen. I love that question. What was the worst thing that could happen? If you have that question at the back of your mind, you will always be progressing because you look at what is the worst thing that can happen. People will talk after that what is going to happen. But life is all about taking risks. The funny thing is that we don't come out of it alive. So whether you take the risk or not, you will not come out of life alive. Wow. Ask yourself, what is the worst thing that could happen? We are all not going to come out of it alive. When they had your wife for political seat, what was the reaction? The very first reaction? My mum was super scared because of all the things that have been said about politicians and how the political field is dirty and everything. My sister was surprised, my brother was surprised because in the family as much as I am strong and I can do anything, they really didn't believe that this is a field that I could be interested in. Because at my home, I am the one who doesn't talk much. And now your daughter is coming up I am the introverted one. My sister, my brother, when people say they are vying for a position, people will be like, we knew that. But with me, my whole family, I can say my whole family, even the extended family, everybody was like, what? Did they say no? How? No. Okay. I listened to my mum a lot. So I really wanted to know what mum is saying. What she is thinking. She was like, okay, umeto wa ika rejuapi. Where is the courage coming from? What is it something you want to do? So I realized, I told her, it's something I want to do and I had to talk to them first. They asked me, are you sure about it? Are you joking? For a moment, my sister, my brother, thought I was joking. But now they saw it serious and when I started to talk to people, I even realized I had something in me that I didn't know I could do. So the courage just kicked in and I told them, you know what, this is what I want to do. Because with what I'm doing in Frankis Foundation, I need this to be something big. I need this to be something that the government can embrace and put these training centers in all constituencies. Imagine if these training centers are in all constituencies. It will be a big deal. Not only ICT hardware skills but all skills. Be it hairdressing, be it plumbing, be it carpentry, all skills. And we have these institutions in all constituencies in Kenya. I believe in me, in 10 years time, Kenya will be a different country because this is industrialization and this is what grows the country. And when everybody has money in their pocket, then our economy automatically our security it ends up kukuamzuri. We won't have insecurities. What do you think are some of the common things that women face that you feel we need to challenge and solve at this day and time? Common thing that women... Okay, I don't know why women are seen as sexual objects. You see, that is something common that I personally, I have faced because you'll walk into a meeting somewhere and maybe you're having a meeting with a group of men and they won't really listen to what you have to say or you have a presentation or you have a proposal and automatically somebody from that group just wants to sleep with you first. That makes, personally me makes me feel like I have something in my brain. I mean listen to what I have to say. Yes, I didn't come here to so this is some challenges that women face out there. They are being seen as sexual objects. And sometimes even for you to get a job it is very hard. And you see sometimes you get desperate for some women you get desperate and at the end of the day you fall a victim and now you start being blackmailed if you still want your job you have to keep on servicing which becomes so hard. You see for some women now you see people committing suicide because of this type of things being stereotyped out there being seen as sex object being seen like you cannot you cannot lead in a month ground. Now here we have women who have compromised because of this and they have many who are having trouble getting to where they want to be because they are being seen as sexual objects. What would be your word to such kind of woman watching it today? My word to such kind of woman you need to stand up for yourself. You need to believe in yourself you're better than that and to any woman listening to me today you don't need to you don't need to put yourself in that position or that situation for you to get a job or for you to get anything You can always try if it has failed here try I still believe there are good men out there it's not like all men are monsters Of course I still believe there are good men out there with respect and those men who believe in women men who really want to see women prosper so they don't give up the only thing because if you put yourself into that situation it will never end it will never end it will go on and on and on and you will continue getting depression and at the end of it it's going to be something very bad because whatever started whatever you used to get that job you need to use it to maintain yes you use it to maintain that job that has been I mean I have faced that a lot in my life until at some point I am like why is this happening but but I still believe because I met one man who believed in women and who really believed even you can do something and that's why I am here today because somebody believed in me and it was the man Frank Frank is foundation and not just Frank alone but somebody else but he was not a Kenyan the very first person who employed me after high school was an Indian guy and that is the very first Indian guy who believed that I could actually do something who told me you are very you are sharp, you are brilliant you can do this that goes to tell that there are also good people out there who don't see women as sexual objects and we need to change this narrative so that such good people are multiplied and we change that whole perception from men about gender now that comes from the younger generation this younger generation of men and boys we need to teach them at early stages that this is how you treat a woman this is how you when you are handling a woman think of your sister think of your mum alright my director is saying that there is something that we need to see I want you to give your thoughts in regards to these particular things bring them up bring them up talk about that so this is you appearing on people daily people daily that's people daily yes how did this come to be so this was a story that was done by a good friend a very loving woman and it was just about what I do with Frankis foundation and women because she realized that Frankis foundation is a unique type of organization people are used to to foundations zina patiana chakula zina patiana sanitary pads zina enda children's home so we are the only foundation in East and Central Africa if I am right that offers training in ICT what about this that is me in action so I was just repairing a client's laptop looks so unique I I wouldn't expect such kind of lady not being a stereotype but man we are coming up it's not just me it was just me but right now we have another one so what are you doing are you able to it's all about repairs because that is what we do on a daily basis servicing of machines and repairs and you teach other women to be able to do this thing yes and I teach other women to be able to do this thing you can see I am standing with a group of women and that is a training session that we do on a day to day basis and our foundation is purely practical we don't write notes there so it's practicals we don't base our training on theories so when we talk about training is purely practical because our education system has focused so much on theory than practical you get a student from your end who has done computer science but cannot even install windows you see you have to go to the cyber if you've done computer science then I expect you to know bootables of HPs of Lenovo and you know how to install windows you can do them yourself on your laptop but when you come to me and you tell me you've done computer science and you know how to do these things then what are we doing in school for six years well when you come at Frankis foundation will just take you through a training of two months and you're good to go because it is purely practicals we teach them on how to solve issues that happen to these gadgets on a daily basis simu ina pasuka kilasiku screen, how do I change a screen laptops the keyboards fail we have different types of laptops with different types of screens how do we know the models how do we replace how do we know which cables goes where how do we diagnose these are something that we should be having on our fingertips I'm looking at you and I'm getting so amazed at the things you know these are things that I have to call a cyber guy you know I have a problem come to the house and this because they are contacts they come to the house just to fix a very small issue on a laptop and you know sometimes you just knocked the laptop and a cable ilia chana kidogo so aki kuja anarudisha tuyo cable anakwambia niluftatu so knowledge is power even the Bible says my people perish because of lack of knowledge Nairobi thank you so much Vivian I want us to bring this conversation and I want you to talk to people give us a parting shot what do you feel like saying as we wrap it all up under one knot with a cream on the top so I wouldn't have so much to say I just want to tell any woman watching me today any woman watching me today never give up it's a life of roller coasters never give up and I want more women believing in women as a young leader and a young upcoming politician I need more women vying vying and I need more women supporting women my people of CBD I am still your young girl I'm still there in the rest support me and if I can do this if I can do this without getting into the government then I believe when I'm in there I can do a lot I can do much more thank you so much Vivian how can we find you on social media on social media you can find me at Honerebo Vivian so that's my social media platform you can also follow Franky's foundation in Facebook our website is www.frankysfoundation.co.ke if you want to know more about Franky's foundation and what we do you can also visit us at Norwich Union Mall Mesa 96 Franky's foundation and get to meet the co-founder when you enter a room the office are asked for a manager and a woman comes don't say no I'm looking for the manager because it could be Vivian thank you so much for coming Vivian thank you keep doing what you're doing I wish you the best if I was casting a vote you can take up you can take up I think women need to be given such kind of opportunities to lead of course thank you so much for coming thank you so much that was us to the end of this conversation on strength of a woman it's all about WCW we're taking a short break my name is Ramaguka keep doing what you're doing wherever you are if at all you're a woman you are strong this is why in the morning