Two weeks into their job search, the proprietor of an establishment along Koinange Street called her back.
Sitah had not expected him to call her back as promised; he had conducted a quick interview on the pavement outside the restaurant, and by then, she was ready to give up the fruitless job search.
LIVING ON TIPS
For Sh6,000, she worked at her employer’s two restaurants for 10 months, waiting tables.
“I was so excited. I was earning Sh6,000, an upgrade from my previous salary, however small, and even better, there was a variety of food to eat, not just chips…” she laughs.
Sitah would work from 6am to 8pm. She enjoyed waiting on the tables because she got tips.
“Always tip waiters, that 10 or 20 bob makes a difference,” she says.
Her service was so good that repeat customers would specifically ask that she serve them. Every day, she went home with at least Sh500 in tips.
One day, she looked at the customers she was serving and knew there was more to her life than waitressing. She quit and went straight to the bank, withdrew her savings, and went back to Technical University of Kenya, and paid her tuition and exam fees in full for her Advanced Certificate in business administration.
In January 2006, still jobless and in need of an income, a friend informed her of a job opportunity in sales at an IT firm. The friend passed on Sitah’s contact information to the recruiter, who called her for an interview. She was apprehensive; she had never worked in sales and was completely unfamiliar with IT, but she went for the interview anyway.
“Just give me three months and if I don’t deliver, you can let me go,” she recalls informing her employer. A week later, Sitah Lang’o started work at Message Labs Africa, an IT firm in the city, earning Sh8,000.
“To this day I thank God for that company because it launched my career.”
Within three months, she had signed her first sales contract. Sitah worked with what she had — great people skills — to make sales. She also thanks Octavian Sumba, a IT networking security consultant, who mentored her, encouraged and challenged her to strive harder.
“He inspired in me a lot of confidence,” Sitah says.
Seven months later, when Sumba was setting up his own company, Sitah moved with him. She worked at Integrated Networks and Communications Ltd, an IT Firm, until 2008, earning Sh38,000, which felt as if she had won the lottery.
“From there, the rest is history – the poor girl had become rich,” she jokes, adding, “For the first time, I felt like a real professional.”
Sitah grew from strength to strength in her IT career, going on to work at Isolutions Associates, whose CEO is James Kinyua, a man she singles out as one of the people that helped to propel her to where she is today.
“With his help, I registered at Computer Pride College and studied a diploma in information technology — fast forward to 2012, I graduated with a degree in information technology [from] the same college, which is accredited by Middlesex University in the UK.
“Not so bad for a village girl,” she remarks.
Sitah is now the regional country manager for East Africa for SWIFT, a global company that offers financial messaging services to financial institutions.
Her average day is spent offering support to East African banks. She handles complaints, or upgrade needs with the SWIFT transfers systems, locally and escalates any cases to the South Africa, Dubai and Belgium offices. And this has seen Sitah travel to South Africa, Holland, Belgium, Mauritius, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.
“I am really grateful that they (SWIFT) saw something in me, and wanted me to be part of their organisation,” she says.
Sitah’s hard work now allows her do things she only dreamed of slightly over a decade ago. She is now able to travel the world and has invested in property and other assets securing her future.
In the future, she hopes to start a charity organisation that houses and rehabilitates sex workers; her experiences working as a late night cashier exposed her to the challenges they face, and she would like to help as many of them as possible to start afresh. Sitah Lang’o believes that with God’s favour, this too she will accomplish.
*****
Here are Sitah Lang’o top 11 musts for anyone aspiring for success:
1 Don’t expect anything from anyone.
2 Don’t expect anyone but yourself to rescue you from your current plight.
3 People will respect you because of your willingness to give your best.
4 There is no specific formula for success.
5 Don’t shy away from doing anything, as long as it is, legal to get to where you want to be.
6 Eat from your own sweat, not from someone else’s pocket.
7 Your background does not define who you are.
8 Get out of your comfort zone; move around in circles better than yours to see what opportunities there are for you.
9 Socialise with friends who challenge you to do better for yourself.
10 Hard work pays
11 If you put in something, you will definitely get something out of it
– DAILY NATION