DRIVING THEIR CAREERS TO HIGHER HEIGHTS
Gladys Nyawira
A friend once told me ‘Variety spices up life’ Mmmh that’s thought provoking! Intuitively speaking, the saying goes well in handy and very much applicable in the modern day woman. At a time when many women are weakening the shells around their once limited space and quickly plunging themselves into the competence of comfortably handling a frying pan on the right hand and a briefcase or a screwdriver on the left hand, is not only an indication of the long walk of women’s emancipation but the passion, illustrious effort and commitment of the duties they are involved in.
Gladys Nyawira and Charity Wanjiru are two of the very few women who are not only rolling in some big cash in the public transport industry but overtly and positively transforming the mindsets of many who highly disdain the characters involved in the matatu industry. It’s twenty minutes after three o’clock on a weekday and the ground is baking hot of the sweltering heat in one of the busy long distance public vehicle parking stage in Nyeri. Gladys has just gained access to the stage in her newly bought Nissan model as her personal conductor Charity wanjiru directs her to a most suitable parking spot within the stage. The passengers start to alight and in no moment another batch of passengers starts to throng in as though they had been waiting for her vehicle all along. Her politeness perhaps strikes an attention to many who trust her to deliver them safely to their destination.
Gladys Nyawira is one of the two women public vehicle drivers who praise her effort coupled with God’s favor in having a budding driving career now spinning to twelve years. ‘I bought my first matatu the ‘face me’ model in the early months of the year 2002.During that time the ‘face me matatus’ were trendy and in abundance and all thanks to my husband Albert that I was able to purchase my first vehicle, ‘says the enthusiastic Gladys .She goes on to say that that she encountered a smooth sail career start off as a public vehicle driver coupled with a zero rate intimidation from among passengers and other competitors in the industry. This first class experience triggered her to learn the slang language used by her fellow colleagues in order to get acquainted and well fit in the public transport field.
Over the 12 year period in her career, she has proved to many that indeed hard work pays, all thanks to the profit made in the business which has birthed three more vehicles which are all in operation besides the one she drives. Moreover, she has hired other junior drivers for the rest of her other fleet of vehicles and nurtured her personal conductor Charity wanjiru a middle aged woman who previously worked for her as a house help. In an up-close and personal interview with charity wanjiru, she feels particularly proud of her boss’s achievement and look up to her and is optimistic that in five year period she would also be a successful driver and owner of a public vehicle soon after her completion of training as a driver.
Asked why Gladys Nyawira prefers working closely with women conductors to men she boldly praise women’s’ trust worth nature and their ability to carry themselves with comport. The wife and the mother of three draw her inspiration from her family, particularly her husband Albert who has continually been a shoulder to lean on whenever challenges arise. Among the lists of her achievements is her ability to juggle between her motherly and wifely duties and her career. Something amazing I learnt about her is that she has heightened her career by driving her passengers even to long distance destinations. During school holidays, festive seasons and when students are resuming back to schools happen to be big breaks for both Gladys and charity since business is on its peak.
Gladys is appreciative of the fact that the government has raised an enabling environment by which now public vehicle owners can come together and form workable Saccos. She would in addition appeal to the government to streamline the public transport industry by treating all public operating vehicles in equal measures.
By Hannah wangechi.
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